Justice Inyang Ekwo of the 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). The case, filed by the APC North Central Group, was thrown out on several legal grounds.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo stated that the APC North Central Group is not recognized as a juristic person under the law, meaning it lacks the legal authority to initiate a lawsuit. He also criticized the group for failing to exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court.
Furthermore, the judge emphasized that the appointment of party officials by the APC’s National Executive Committee is an internal matter, and as such, is beyond the court’s jurisdiction.
The North Central APC Group had brought the case against Ganduje, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that Ganduje’s appointment violated the party’s constitution, specifically Article 13, which calls for a democratic process in filling party positions. They contended that the chairmanship role should have gone to someone from the North Central zone, claiming Ganduje’s appointment breached this principle.
The plaintiffs had requested the court to prevent Ganduje from acting as APC Chairman and to direct INEC not to recognize any party activities under his leadership, including congresses, primaries, and nominations.
Justice Ekwo’s ruling, however, effectively dismissed all these claims, reaffirming Ganduje’s position as the APC National Chairman.
