Action Alliance distances self from suit against INEC, 3 others
Action Alliance distances self from suit against INEC, 3 others
By Femi Mustapha
The Action Alliance, (AA), has dissociated itself from the suit instituted against the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), and three of its principal officers by expelled Chairman of the Party, Kenneth Udeze.
National Chairman of Action Alliance, Hon Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje, stated this in a statement made available to the media in Kaduna on 6th August 2023
It will be recalled Udeze has threatened to initiate legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) if the commission fails to obey court orders.
He had approached the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to obtain form 48 against INEC and its chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu.
Udeze also joined the INEC Director in charge of political party monitoring and Liaison, Mr. Aminu Idris and the Director in charge of litigation and prosecution, Dr. Tanimu Mohammed in the suit marked FCT/HC/CV/174/2022.
But in a Sharp reaction, Omo-Aje said, Udeze and his co-travelers are on their own and have no right to represent the party at any level, having been expelled from the party a long time ago, saying he (Omo-Aje) is the only authentic and recognized national chairman of the Action Alliance and by that, he is to represent the party at any level on any issue that affects the party and he is not a part to any suit against the Election Umpire.
He explained that some courts of competent jurisdictions, including an Ogun State High Court, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, and the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal had ordered INEC to recognize Omo-Aje as the national chairman of the AA.
He cited that an Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has struck out an appeal by the sacked Chairman of the AA party, Chief Kenneth Udeze, seeking to reverse the nullification of the candidacy of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and others.
According to him, the three-member panel of the appellate court, led by its President, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, in a ruling, held that the appeal was incompetent.
Justice Dongban-Mensem held, in the lead ruling, that Udeze was wrong to have initiated the appeal in the name of Action Alliance and also listed the party as a respondent.
Justice Dongban-Mensem noted that the AA could not be an appellant and a respondent in the same appeal.
The ruling was on the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/1472MI/2022, with which Udeze (who was suspended and later expelled) had sought to void the December 22 ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Omo-Aje also said a Federal High Court, Abuja, recently in a suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1256/22 awarded a N1 million fine against the expelled National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Mr. Kenneth Udeze, for instituting a suit in the name of the party against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, (APC), and his vice, Mr. Kashim Shettima.
According to him, Justice Binta Nyako held that the plaintiff lacks the locus standi to institute the case, noting that the suit was instituted by a busybody just to waste the judicial time of the court.
He stressed that the Electoral Body also removed the name of Udeze from its website completely and directed all its state and local government offices to recognize Omo-Aje as the national chairman of AA.
With this development, Omo-Aje is to present candidates for the next elections, holding in Bayelsa, Kogi and other parts of the country.
He added that the party will continue to thrive despite the challenges it went through as a result of Udeze’s illegal actions.
