Accord leadership: Imumolen insists on certified court documents

Factional National Chairman of the Accord Party, Prof. Chris Imumolen, has called for a resolution to the party's ongoing leadership crisis based strictly on certified court records. He argues that competing political statements and factional claims should be disregarded in favor of judicial pronouncements.

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Until the competent courts finally determine the competing claims, the proper approach is to distinguish between what has been judicially ordered, what has subsequently been challenged, and what remains pending before the courts.

Imumolen's stance stems from legal proceedings initiated after the party's July 2024 national convention. He pointed to an interim order granted by Justice M.M. Adamu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on August 29 and 30, 2024. This order reportedly recognized Imumolen as the National Chairman of the Accord Party, pending the determination of a substantive suit. The court also issued injunctions restraining the opposing faction from acting as the National Executive Committee and from conducting state and local government congresses.

While acknowledging that the opposing faction, led by Maxwell Mgbudem, has pursued further court actions and obtained subsequent orders, Imumolen stressed the importance of distinguishing between judicial decisions already made, those subsequently challenged, and matters still pending before the courts. He maintained that the existence of competing legal proceedings does not negate the judicial history supporting his claim to the chairmanship.

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Prof. Imumolen can therefore legitimately maintain that his claim to the National Chairmanship has a clear judicial history and cannot be dismissed as a mere self-appointed position.

"The decisive evidence should ultimately be the certified court orders, judgments and enrolled orders from the FCT High Court, Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, rather than statements issued by either faction of Accord," Imumolen stated. He cautioned against interpreting the 2024 interim order as a final resolution, emphasizing its status as a preliminary decision pending further litigation. Nevertheless, he asserted that this order forms a crucial part of the dispute's judicial record.

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The decisive evidence should ultimately be the certified court orders, judgments and enrolled orders from the FCT High Court, Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, rather than statements issued by either faction of Accord.