The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has declared that the judgement of a Federal High Court in Abia which ordered the takeover of its administration by Dr Boniface Aniebonam as a fraud.
The NNPP maintained that the judgement lacked the basic ingredients of law, therefore described it as null and void.
A Federal High Court sitting in Uzuakoli Division of Abia State and presided over by Justice C.U. Okoroafor had issued an order for the immediate takeover of the party’s Board of Trustees (BOT) by the faction of the party chaired by Dr Aniebonam.
The National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, in a statement on Monday, noted that the constitution relied upon in the judgment had been amended since April 6th, 2024, adding that those who claimed to be members of the Board of Trustees had since been expelled from the party, a decision he said was upheld by a Federal High Court, Abuja.
Johnson also averred that the jurisdiction of the court in Abia was not involved in the matter as no originating process in the said suit was served on the NNPP at its registered office.
“None of the authentic National Working Committee officers who have their names and addresses registered with INEC as required by the CFRN 1999 (as amended) was served with the said process leading to the judgment.
“The registered office of NNPP with INEC is No.11, Mahatma Gandhi Street Area 11, Garki, Abuja as required by Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution and the extant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022”, he stated.
The party further contended that a Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier ruled and declared the said members of the Board of Trustees as expelled members of the NNPP and thus, can no longer be relied upon as authentic BoT members as implied in the Abia judgement.
The statement claimed that a Federal High Court also previously affirmed the provisions of the constitution of the NNPP that the Board of Trustees is merely an advisory body without executive powers, insisting that the judgment is subsisting and has not been set aside.
Thus, the NNPP spokesman concluded that the judgement “being bandied around by Aneibonam and his cohorts is a spurious judgement, reached per incuriam, by a court whose jurisdiction could not have been invoked except by fraud. To the extent that it runs counter to an existing judgement of the Federal High Court Abuja division, this Abia judgement goes to no issue whatsoever.”
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