Police Foil Okwu’s Bid To Take Over APGA Office

By Joe Nwankwo Assistant Editor, Abuja

Attempts by Maxi Okwu to use thugs to take over the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was on Wednesday night thwarted as the Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mbu Joseph Mbu, ordered him to await the appeal filed by Chief Victor Umeh challenging the decision of a Federal High Court Abuja which had ousted him, the National Secretary and his entire of the party leadership from office.

The FCT Commissioner of Police was said to have told Okwu who was accompanied to the Command headquarters by Dr. Chike Obidigbo who is laying claims to the Anambra State Governorship position that there was no place in judgment of Justice Abdul Kafarati where they were ordered to take over the party's headquarters and that doing so was illegal and would amount to their taking the laws into their own hands.

He subsequently directed him to withdraw his people from the party's National Headquarters to avoid a breakdown of law and order.

The Court of Appeal has fixed hearing on the Appeal filed by Chief Victor Umeh, the National Chairman of APGA, challenging the January 15, 2014 judgment of the Federal High Court Abuja which had ousted him and his leadership the party.

Okwu who had on Wednesday evening stormed the party's Secretariat with his retinue of thugs around 4 p.m. in a convoy comprising three coaster buses and other vehicles accompanied by Dr. Chike Obidigbo drove to the National Headquarters of the party to take over the premises.

He however met stiff resistance from the Police Superintendent in charge of the Secretariat, Mr. Otobo Anthony, with his colleagues who said they could only hand over the place to the Okwu's faction if they receive such directives from their boss.

'I'm legally posted here on the instructions of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) through the Commissioner of Police FCT. We are not taking sides, but all we are saying is that we can only allow you if there are clear instructions from our boss to do so,' the CP stated.

After some arguments they were able to gain entrance into the premises after beating some staff of the Secretariat and then they started playing wild music and entertaining the retinue of thugs.

Okwu was however summoned by the Commissioner of Police, FCT, Mbu Joseph Mbu, where he was ordered to remove his thugs from the party's Secretariat and wait for the outcome of the appeal filed by the National Chairman of APGA Chief Victor Umeh challenging the decision of the Federal High Court Abuja presided over by Justice Adbul Kafarati which had ousted his leadership from office.