The purported judgement of a Federal High Court in Abia which ordered the takeover of the administration of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam has been described as a fraud and lacked the basic ingredients of law and therefore null and void.
A Federal High Court in Abia state, Uzuakoli Division, presided over by Hon Justice C.U. Okoroafor had issued a compelling order for the immediate takeover of the party Board of Trustees (BOT) by one chaired by Dr Boniface Aniebonam.
But in a statement in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, noted that the constitution relied upon in the judgment had been amended since 6th April, 2024 just as those who claimed to be members of the Board of Trustees had since been expelled from the party.
According to the statement, the decision was also upheld by a Federal High Court, Abuja division.
He also averred that the jurisdiction of the court in Abia was not involved 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 Division 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 wrongfully implied in the judgement procured in Abia.
The statement claimed that a Federal High court also previously affirmed the provisions of the constitution of the NNPP that the Board of Trustees was merely an advisory body without executive powers.
Johnson insisted that the judgment is subsisting and has not been set aside.
The Spokesman of the party maintained that the purported judgement “being bandied around by Aneibonam and his cohorts was a spurious judgement, reached per in curiam, by a court whose jurisdiction could not have been invoked except by fraud.
It noted that the judgement ran counter to an existing judgement of the Federal High Court Abuja division, saying “this Abia judgement goes to no issue whatsoever”.
