Akwa Ibom APC crisis: Akpanudoedehe refuses to withdraw appeal

Former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator  John James Akpanudoedehe has refused to withdraw an appeal he filed at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division over the crisis in the Akwa Ibom Chapter of the APC.

He told the court on Monday that he had not withdrawn the appeal challenging the decision of the lower court on the dispute between him and five purported elected Executive members of the state chapter of the party.

Akpanudoedehe also told the appellate court that he will never withdraw the appeal even as the National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu through his counsel insisted that Akpanudoedehe was no longer the National Secretary of APC,  therefore he can not act in that capacity.

The former APC scribe bares his mind through his counsel, Solomon Umoh, SAN when the appeal he filed against Stephen Leo Ntukekpo and five other elected members of the Akwa Ibom APC came up for hearing.

But a panel of the Court of Appeal presided by Justice  H.S. Tsammani could not hear the matter as the 1st to 5th defendant’s counsel insisted that Umoh had been debriefed by the party. They claimed that APC has asked Umoh to withdraw the matter.

Chief Umeh Kalu (SAN), lawyer to the first defendant, Stephen Leo Ntukekpo told the Court that a letter dated May 6, from APC National Headquarters, signed by the Head, of legal service and addressed to Umoh and Niyi Akintola (SAN) had informed them and notified both lawyers of the party intends to withdraw the appeal as the party was bound by the decision of the lower Court.

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Kalu said that while Akintola has complied with the instructions of the party. Umoh refused to comply with the instructions of his client, the APC who engaged him and further submitted that Akpanudoedehe has since relinquished the post of National Secretary of APC  adding that if he has an interest, he should seek the leave of the Court to pursue his personnel interest.

The other lawyers for the 2nd to the 5th defendants aligned with the submissions of Kalu.

In his response, counsel to the appellant Umoh said he was in receipt of the letter dated May 5, and that the content of the said letter asked him to discontinue the matter at the high court which he had complied with.

He said the appeal had nothing to do with APC national Headquarters, but with five elected members of the party in Akwa Ibom State.

“They can not advice me to withdraw an appeal of my client that has paid for the service”, he added.

The matter continues on Tuesday at the Court of Appeal.

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Akwa Ibom APC crisis: Akpanudoedehe refuses to withdraw appeal