Petition On The Partisanship Of Your Special Adviser Inter-Party Affairs Senator Ben Obi In The APGA Imbroglio

13^th June, 2014

His Excellency

Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR

President and Commander in Chief

Federal Republic of Nigeria

State House

Abuja.

Mr. President,

We are constrained to bring to your notice the unwarranted and unhealthy partisanship of Senator Ben Obi, your Special Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs in the ongoing leadership dispute in our party.

We did not receive any invitation to the All Political Parties and Stakeholders’ Summit held in Abuja on June 12, 2014. On inquiry with the Special Adviser Inter-Party Affairs we were informed that based on the advice of the Hon. Attorney General and Minister for Justice APGA would not be invited.

However, at the occasion to our chagrin Mr. Peter Obi former Governor of APGA was recognized as a major stakeholder in APGA and requested to speak on behalf of APGA National Chairman. We concede that Mr Peter Obi is indeed a major stakeholder of APGA, but he definitely is not the party. Secondly, he is hand in glove with his kinsman our erstwhile National Chairman in the contempt of court and disregard of the legal status quo in our party.

On 15^th January, 2014, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja delivered a concise and incisive Judgment which declared that we are the authentic National Executive of APGA. In a show of shame three days later, specifically on the 18^th of January, 2014 at Awka, Chief Victor Umeh and then Governor Peter Obi conducted what they called a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party. This was in total disregard and contempt of the judgment of the court on 15^th January, 2014. The gathering purportedly returned Governor Obi as leader of the party and Chairman Board of Trustees.

It is ironic that if not for the law courts Mr Peter Obi would have never been Governor of Anambra State. Again it was the law court that restored him after impeachment, and the law courts again on tenure interpretation saved him and gave him opportunity to go for a second term.

Mr Peter Obi did not have our mandate to speak for the National Chairman at a meeting he was invited in his capacity as a former Governor.

It is worthy of note that when the organizers invited General Mohammadu Buhari to speak on behalf of the All Progressives Congress(APC), as an officer and gentleman he declined, stating clearly that he was invited in his personal capacity and could not speak for his party APC.

In all these we see the deft hand of your Special Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs who incidentally is a close political/personal associate of Mr Peter Obi and Chief Victor Umeh. They all hail from Anambra State and share many ties.  We also recall that at the inauguration of Mr. Willie Obiano, on 17^th March, 2014 as Governor, Senator Ben Obi who represented you at the occasion referred to Chief Victor Umeh as National Chairman of APGA.

Your Excellency, we admit that there is an ongoing leadership dispute in our party, however the unassailable legal position is that there is a subsisting and final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction stating that we are the authentic Executive. The erstwhile leadership filed an appeal on the 15^th January, 2014 Judgment of the Federal High Court. The appeal has been heard and judgment reserved sine die. The appellants (Umeh and co) filed three separate applications for stay of execution of the judgment of Justice Abdulkadir Abdu-Kafarati and either lost or withdrew all.

The judgment of 15^th January, 2014 by the Federal High Court stands and must be obeyed by all persons and authority. If we truly believe in and practice the rule of law it would in our humble opinion be mischievous at the very least to disregard this legal situation until set aside by the Court of Appeal.

We most humbly therefore urge your Excellency whom we are well aware is a believer in the rule of law to call your aide on Inter-Party Affairs to order.

Please accept the assurances of our highest consideration.

Sincerely,

Chief Maxi Okwu                                               Dr. Sagir Auwal Maidoya

Ikenecheoha II,                                                     National Secretary, APGA

National Chairman, APGA,                                 07037685000

08033374174

Cc.

Special Adviser to Mr. President on Inter-Party Affairs

Attorney General and Minister of Justice

National Security Adviser