The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division on Friday, affirmed Chief Kenneth Udeze as the authentic National Chairman of Action Alliance (AA).
A three-member panel of justices of the Court of Appeal presided over by Justice H.A. Barka in affirming Udeze’s position in the party, dismissed the Appeal filed by one Adekunle Rufai Omoaje in Appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/955/2022 challenging the judgement of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/174/2022 delivered on March 28, 2022 by Justice Eleojo Enenche which had, earlier affirmed Udeze as the authentic national chairman of Action Alliance and validated the March 14, 2021 National Convention of the party.
The appellate court, in the unanimous judgment, held that the appeal of Omoaje was incompetent and lacking in merit, and subsequently dismissed it.
Justice Eleojo Enenche of the FCT High Court had, in a judgment in suit number: FCT/HC/CV/174/2022, in March 2023, affirmed Udeze as AA’s national chairman on the grounds that the national convention of the AA held on March 14, 2021, that produced him was valid, legal and constitutional.
Dissatisfied, Omoaje approached the appellate court to nullify the March 14, 2021 convention and by extension sack Udeze as national chairman.
However, delivering judgment in the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/955/2022, the appellate court held that the appellant did not provide convincing evidence why the judgment of the FCT High Court should be set aside.
While dismissing the appeal for being incompetent, the Court of Appeal also awarded the sum of N4 million as a cost against Omoaje in favour of Udeze and three other respondents.
The spokesman of the party, Rev. Dennis Ubani, shortly after the judgement was delivered said, “With the two Court of Appeal judgements affirming Udeze as the authentic National Chairman of Action Alliance (AA), it is now finally put to rest the party prolong legal tussle on the National Chairmanship.
“We express our profound gratitude to the Nigerian judiciary, that indeed it is the last hope for a common man.
“We thank our party legal team led by Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa (SAN) former Attorney General and minister of justice for a diligent prosecution of the matter.”