World enews: AAC Party Leadership: Court Fixes February To Hear Appeal Against Ruling Declaring Ezenwa As Chairman

An Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has fixed 22nd of February 2022 for the hearing of an appeal filed by the National Chairman of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, against a judgment delivered by a Federal High Court Abuja on the leadership of the party.

Sowore is asking the Appeal Court to set aside the judgment of the FCT High Court delivered by Justice Binta Muhammed which declared Leonard Ezenwa as the chairman on the ground of lack of jurisdiction, breach of fair hearing and improper evaluation of evidence.

Sowore had in a suit marked CA/A/87/M/2020 filed by the National Legal Adviser of the party and counsel to Sowore, who is an applicant in the case, Inibehe Effiong, at the Court of Appeal prayed for the leave of court to appeal against the judgment as an interested party.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, Effiong moved an application to amend the notice of appeal and brief of argument.
He said the application was filed on October 14th 2021 just as he moved for the withdrawal of the one filed on 7th July 2020.
The application was not objected by the counsel to 1st and 2nd respondents, Obed Agu.

After the submissions by the parties in the matter the three-man panel headed by Justice A.J Adah therefore granted the prayer as requested by Inibehe and struck out the application and adjourned the case to 22nd February 2022 for hearing of the appeal.

Addressing journalists at the court, Inibehe said, “We moved an application to amend the notice of appeal and brief of argument which was neither opposed by the 1st and 2nd respondents (Leonard Nzenwa and INEC). The application has been graciously granted by the Court of Appeal.
“The very important news is that our appeal has now been fixed for 22nd February 2022 and by the time we come back, we are hopeful that the appeal would be held and after which the judgment will be reserved.”
Inibehe expressed hope and confidence in Nigeria judiciary and judicial process just he urged party members to be focused, patient and resilient.
In the earlier appeal which suffered delays due to the COVID-19 restrictions, lockdown and nationwide strike action by the judiciary workers, the Court of Appeal had on 8th July, 2021 heard the application and granted all the reliefs sought by Sowore.