Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and presidential aspirant, has been confirmed as the substantive Chairman of the African Action Congress by an Abuja Appeal Court (AAC).
Sowore had challenged a High Court verdict made by Justice Inyang Ekwo naming a Nigerian government usurper, Leonard Nzenwa, as the party’s Acting Chairman in an appeal dated CA/A/812/2019.
Sowore also asked the court, through his lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who is also the party’s National Legal Adviser, to throw aside the lower court’s verdict and award all of the appellant’s reliefs.
On behalf of the three-man panel, Justice A.J Adah delivered the decision in the appeal on Thursday, stating that the lower court lacked power to interfere in the party’s internal affairs.
The court also dismissed Nzenwa’s lawsuit, which was the basis for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognizing him as the party’s Acting Chairman.
As a result, the court overturned the lower court’s decision recognizing Nzenwa as interim Chairman.
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In addition, the court ordered N200,000 in damages to Sowore against Nzenwa.
On June 19, 2019, Nzenwa covertly got a ruling from the FCT High Court declaring Sowore and Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Malcom Fabiyi, to be suspended as the party’s National Chairman and Deputy National Chairman, respectively.
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Despite the fact that neither Sowore, AAC, or INEC were named as parties to the suit, the High Court issued a judgment against Sowore, which Leonard and his supporters used to truncate the petition filed by the party’s candidate in the 2019 Rivers State Gubernatorial election challenging Governor Nyesom Wike’s reelection.
With this decision, the party’s long-running leadership squabble has come to an end.
