An Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has affirmed the human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore as substantive Chairman of the African Action Congress ( AAC ).
Sowore had in an appeal marked CA/A/812/2019 challenged a high court judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo declaring a Nigeria government usurper, Leonard Nzenwa Acting Chairman of the party.
Sowore also prayed the court through his lawyer who is also the National Legal Adviser of the party Barr. Inibehe Effiong to set aside the judgment of the lower court and grant all the reliefs sought by the appellant.
Delivering judgment in the appeal on Thursday on behalf of the three-man panel Justice A.J Adah held that the lower court has no jurisdiction to meddle in the internal affairs of the party.
The court also struck out the suit filed by Leonard which is the basis upon which the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) accorded him recognition as Acting Chairman of the party.
The court, therefore, set aside the judgment of the lower court recognising Leonard as Acting Chairman.
The court further awarded the sum of N200,000 damages against Leonard in favour of Sowore.
It would be recalled that following the judgment secretly obtained by the expelled National Secretary of the party, Leonard Nzenwa, from the FCT high court on June 19th, 2019 to the effect that Sowore had been suspended as the National Chairman of the party alongside Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Malcom Fabiyi.
In the said case, neither Sowore, AAC nor INEC was joined as a party to the suit yet the high court entered judgment against Sowore which was used by Leonard and his sponsors to truncate the petition filed by the party’s candidate in the 2019 Rivers State Gubernatorial election against the reelection of Governor Nyesom Wike.
With this judgment the protracted leadership tussle of the party has now been put to rest.
