Spread the love
Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Yusuf Halilu, has dismissed a suit instituted by Chief Raymond Dokpesi, owner of AIT, against Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA) for lack of merit and forgery of a purported appointment letter.
Dokpesi had approach the court with claims that he was the one that appointed the party’s national chairman, Mallam Shitu Mohammed and Dr. Emeka Okengwu during the formation of the party.
Dokpesi requested the court to affirm him as BOT chairman and also desolve the Shitu-led National Working Committee and NEC of the party. He equally prayed for all property and correspondences to be submitted to him.
Delivering his judgement, Justice Halilu averred that the defendant was elected in January with a resolution submitted to INEC and the commission has recognised him as such and several correspondence were made with him. The judge affirmed that INEC equally cautioned Dokpesi in a letter addressed to him that the party can not have a Board of Trustees until after five (5) years as stipulated by APDA constitution.
Based on the above facts submitted by the defendants, Mallam Shitu Mohammed and Emeka Okengwu, National Chairman and Secretary respectively, remain the authentic and recognised leadership of APDA.
He added that Dokpesi’s action lacks integrity and has no locus standi to approach the court in the first instance because the party never had Board of Trustees. He described the purported letter claimed by Dokpesi to have issued to Shitu as an after thought, adding that it lacks credibility.
Reacting to the judgement, Shitu described it as landmark judgement that will strengthen the party and allow it focus on providing a viable opposition and alternative party that Nigerians are yearning for.
“This a confirmation of what APDA stand for that we are party of integrity that can not be hijacked by God fathers,” Shitu said.
Spread the love
