A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, dismissed a suit seeking the removal of Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a judgement, the trial Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the suit filed against Ganduje by the APC North Central Group on various grounds.
Justice Ekwo among others held that, the APC North Central Group is not a juristic person having not been registered in law and therefore has no legal power and capacity to file the suit.
The Judge also held that, the plaintiff failed to explore the party’s internal mechanism for peaceful resolution of issues before rushing to the court.
Besides, Justice Ekwo held that appointment of officers for APC by its National Executive Committee (NEC) is an internal affairs of the party which no court can dabble into.
The Northern Central APC Group had dragged Ganduje, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court praying for nullification of appointment of Ganduje by APC on the ground of gross violations of the party’s Constitution.
Specifically, the North Central APC Group claimed that the appointment of Ganduje breached Article 13 of APC Constitution because it was not done through democratic process enshrined in the party’s law.
The plaintiff, the North Central APC Group led by Ganduje had filed the suit to query the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the National Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone, whose turn it was to fill the position.
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024 with Ganduje, the APC and INEC as the 1st to the 3rd defendants respectively, the plaintiff asked the court to, among others, restrain Ganduje from further parading himself as the national chairman of the APC.
It also prayed the court to issue an order directing INEC not to accord recognition to all actions taken by the APC, including congresses, primaries and nominations, since Ganduje became APC’s national Chairman on August 3, 2023.
The plaintiff contended among others, that Ganduje is occupying the office of the APC national chairman illegally, not being from a state in the North Central geo-political zone and argued that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC breached the party’s Constitution when it appointed Ganduje, from Kano State in the North West geo- political zone to replace Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State in the North Central geo-political zone.
It also argued that Ganduje’s appointment to replace Abdullahi was contrary to Article 13.5(1) f of the APC Constitution and ultra-vires the powers of the NEC of the party, among other prayers.
Justice Ekwo while dismissing the suit however held that there was no cause of action against the defendants since the plaintiff has no power under any known law to Institute any case in any court in the country.
