Confusion reigned in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Monday over who was the authentic national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance many hours after the Governor Peter Obi-led faction of the party elected its national working committee with Mr. Maxi Okwu, the faction's former interim national chairman, as national chairman.
The confusion followed the ruling on Monday by the Court of Appeal granting a stay of execution of the Enugu High Court judgment that removed Chief Victor Umeh from office as APGA chairman.
The Obi-faction had apparently fast forwarded the election of its National Working Committee to Sunday night to preempt whatever might be the outcome of the Court of Appeal application by Umeh.
Okwu, who was elected for a term of four years, polled 790 votes to beat his closest rival who secured 90 votes at the party's convention at the Women and Children Development Centre, Awka, Anambra State.
The convention was attended by Obi and former Information and Communications Minister, Prof. Dora Akunyili, among other stakeholders of the party.
Okwu, in his acceptance speech, said the successful congress and convention marked a new dawn in the history of the party.
Obi said it was the first time any party would conduct a successful convention without crisis.
Some officials of the Independent the Independent National Electoral Commission attended the convention.
But hours later, in an unanimous ruling delivered by the three-man panel led by Justice D. Galinge, the Appeal Court, sitting in Enugu, ordered that the parties in the matter should return to the status quo pending the determination of the main suit.
Galinge stated, "The judgment by the trial court, restraining the appellant from parading himself as the national chairman of APGA, cannot hold because the appellant contested the jurisdiction of the trial court.
"The Court of Appeal has the responsibility to protect the rights of the applicant, to ensure he does not suffer damages while his appeal is still before the court.
"The restraining order by the Enugu High Court is hereby stayed, pending the determination of the substantive appeal before the court."
Monday's Appeal Court order was against the backdrop of the Enugu High Court ruling, delivered by the Chief Justice Innocent Umezulike on February 8, 2013, which had prompted Umeh to approach the appellate court seeking, among other reliefs, the stay of execution of the judgment.
At the resumed hearing on Monday, the court, after a lengthy legal arguments by Wole Olanipekun and Arthur Okafor, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria, for the plaintiff and respondent respectively, ruled that since the lower court granted reliefs not sought by the petitioner, the ruling should be stayed pending the determination of the substantive matter.
Meanwhile, there are indications that APGA might be plunged into a fresh crisis in Anambra State as the leadership of the party in the state, loyal to Umeh, said it would punish its members that were involved in last Friday's expulsion of the state leadership of the party.
