The lingering leadership crisis within the Action Alliance (AA) has finally been resolved following a decisive ruling by the Supreme Court.
The apex court specifically dismissed a suit challenging the Chief Kenneth Udeze-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Shortly after the appeal was dismissed, Udeze, on Tuesday, said the dismissal has settled the leadership crisis in the party.
He said the focus of the party now is the 2027 election, as there is no longer anything stopping them from winning elections in 2027.
Justice Lawal Garba, who presided over the appeal, dismissed it for want of diligent prosecution.
Hon. Fredrick Ighiwiyisi had appealed against the Appeal Court judgment that affirmed the leadership of Udeze.
He joined Osaro Uwaifo, Action Alliance (AA), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents in the matter.
The appellant, however, abandoned the appeal.
The Supreme Court, in its ruling, held: “The motion of 10th October, 2024, for the dismissing/striking out of the appeal on the ground of want of prosecution was served on the 23rd October, 2024, on the appellant, and there is no record that he had taken any step to prosecute the appeal since then. The said appeal is dismissed for want of prosecution.”
In the build-up to the Edo State governorship election, Frederick Ighiwiyisi filed an action in court challenging the primary election of the Action Alliance, wherein Chief Uwaifo was nominated as the governorship candidate of the party for the 2024 Edo State Governorship Election.
It will be recalled that the Action Alliance held its primary election on February 24, 2024, and nominated Uwaifo as the candidate of the party for the 2024 Edo State Governorship Election.
However, Ighiwiyisi challenged the validity of the primary election on the grounds that the national executive of the Action Alliance, led by Udeze, which conducted the primary, is not the authentic national leadership of the party.
The suit, which was strongly contested, was dismissed, and the court held that by virtue of the extant judgments of the court, which were affirmed by the Court of Appeal, the national executive of the party led by Udeze remains the authentic national leadership of the party, and any primary conducted by him is valid and lawful.
Ighiwiyisi appealed to the Court of Appeal, and his appeal was also dismissed by the Court of Appeal by a unanimous decision, also affirming the decision of the Federal High Court that Udeze remains the valid and authentic national chairman of the Action Alliance with the power to conduct primary elections of the party.
In his continued challenge of the national leadership of the Action Alliance, Frederick had filed an appeal to the Supreme Court but failed to diligently prosecute the same, as a result of which the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal.
