Emmanuel Ugwu
11 July 2009
Umuahia — The long held view that the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) was devoid of internal democracy has been strengthened further as the chairman of Isiala Ngwa South Local Government, Chief Anthony Agbazuere, has dragged the party to court over the appointment of the chairman of the Abia State chapter of the party without recourse to the provision of the party constitution.
Ezeogo Emeka Onuoha was appointed as the state chairman of PPA in a statement dated May 8, signed by the national secretary of the PPA, Dahiru Musa Abdullahi, citing the "resignation" of Elder Kalu Eke Kalu.
But the council boss has gone to an Abuja High Court to challenge the appointment, saying Onuoha "was brought in through the back door," violating the constitution of the party which required that a member of the state executive committee should be appointed to replace the state chairman of the party upon resignation.
Speaking with journalists yesterday at Umuahia, Agbazuere said he decided to file the suit at an Abuja High Court since the perpetrators of the illegal action reside at the Federal Capital Territory from where they imposed Onuoha on Abia PPA, adding that his main concern was to ensure that internal democracy prevailed in the party and that party laws were obeyed.
In the suit filed by his counsel, Femi Falana, the council chairman is asking the court to determine if by the provision of Articles 9(14), 9(15)(ii), 9 (16)(i) and 11(20)(a) and (c) of the PPA constitution the power to fill the vacant position of the chairmanship of Abia state chapter of the party was vested on any other person or body other than the State Executive Council.
He also wants to court to determine if by the extant provisions of the Constitution of the PPA, "any person other than a serving Executive member i.e. any officer of the State Executive Committee elected by the State Congress could be appointed to replace a chairman of a state chapter of the party upon his resignation."
Among the five reliefs sought by the plaintiff a declaration that the appointment of Onuoha was done in accordance with the relevant provisions of the party constitution and that the "purported" Abia PPA chairman "was not qualified to replace the former chairman and therefore his appointment is null and void."
"The laws must be respected. The rules made by any association must be respected by the members," he told newsmen, adding "this society must be corrected, the right people must get the right things (and) meritocracy must take precedence."
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