Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit challenging the appointment of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The suit, filed by the APC North Central Group, was dismissed on Monday for various legal reasons.
Justice Ekwo ruled that the APC North Central Group, which initiated the suit, is not a recognized legal entity as it has not been registered in law. As such, the group lacks the legal capacity to file the case. The Judge also noted that the plaintiff failed to exhaust the APC’s internal mechanisms for resolving disputes before rushing to court.
Additionally, the court determined that the appointment of party officers by the APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) is an internal party affair, which is not subject to judicial intervention.
The APC North Central Group had sought to nullify Ganduje’s appointment, arguing that it violated the party’s constitution, specifically Article 13, which they claimed requires a democratic process for such appointments. They also contended that Ganduje, from Kano State in the North West, should not have been appointed to replace Abdullahi Adamu, who hails from Nasarawa State in the North Central zone. According to the group, the position was supposed to be filled by someone from the North Central region.
The group, led by Saleh Zazzaga, had asked the court to restrain Ganduje from acting as APC chairman and to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognize any actions taken by the APC under Ganduje’s leadership.
However, Justice Ekwo dismissed the suit, stating that there was no valid cause of action and that the group had no legal standing to bring the case to court.
