A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the removal of Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okay.ng reports.
Delivering the judgment on Monday, Justice Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, ruled that the suit was premature and that the issues raised were internal affairs of the political party.
The court held that the plaintiffs, the North Central APC Forum, led by Saleh Zazzaga, failed to show credible evidence of being registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), thus lacking the locus standi to file the suit.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, challenged Ganduje’s appointment as APC chair, arguing that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party violated the APC constitution by appointing him, as Ganduje hails from Kano State in the north-west, not the north-central zone, where his predecessor, Abdullahi Adamu, was from.
The plaintiff contended that Ganduje’s appointment was a breach of Article 31.5(1F) of the APC constitution and ultra vires the powers of the party’s NEC.
They also sought to restrain Ganduje from further parading himself as APC chair and requested the court to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognize any actions taken by the APC, including congresses and primaries, since Ganduje’s appointment in August 2023.
Despite the court’s dismissal of the suit, Ayuba Abdul, counsel to the plaintiff, informed journalists that the group plans to appeal the decision.