By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday dismissed a suit seeking to remove Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Delivering judgement on the suit , the trial Judge, Justice Ekwo dismissed the suit filed against Ganduje by the APC North-Central Group on various grounds.
The judge held that the APC North -Central Group is not a juristic person and not registered in law, and therefore has no legal power and capacity to file the suit.
The Judge further held that the plaintiff failed to explore the internal mechanism for peaceful resolution of issues before rushing to the court.
Justice Ekwo also held that the appointment of officers for APC by its National Executive Committee is an internal affair of the party that no court can dabble into.
The APC Group had dragged Ganduje, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the court praying for the nullification of appointment of Ganduje by the ruling party on the ground of gross violations of the party’s Constitution.
Specifically, the APC group claimed that the appointment of Ganduje breached Article 13 of the APC Constitution, claiming it was not done through a democratic process enshrined in the party’s law.
The plaintiff, the North Central APC Forum led by Saleh Zazzaga, had filed the suit to query Ganduje’s appointment as the National Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North-Central geo-political zone, whose turn it said was to fill the position.
The plaintiff in the suit, asked the court to, among others, restrain Ganduje from further parading himself as the 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 Chairman on August 3, 2023.