Court dismisses suit seeking Ganduje’s removal as APC National chairman

The suit that sought the removal of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was dismissed by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a detailed judgment, dismissed the suit based on the lack of locus standi of the plaintiff, the North Central APC Forum, led by Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga.

Justice Ekwo, who held that no credible evidence was presented before the court to show that the group was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), said the name was not known to law.

The judge further held that the group is not a juristic person as the issue brought before the court bordered on the internal affairs of the APC.

He said that the party’s national chairman could only be appointed or removed through a national convention.

However, the group’s lawyer, Ayuba Abdul, in a chat with newsmen, vowed to appeal the judgment.

Also speaking, Zazzaga corroborated Abdul’s position.

“I am not surprised the way the judgment went.  However, we will appeal the decision,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Ekwo had, on Sept. 18, fixed today for the judgment after it could not be delivered.

The plaintiff; the North Central APC Forum, had filed the suit to queried the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone.

In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, the plaintiff listed Ganduje, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.

The plaintiff asked the court to, among others, restrain Ganduje from further parading himself as the chairman of the APC.

The group 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 Aug. 3, 2023.

It 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 Sen. 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 31.5(1) f of the APC constitution and ultra vires the powers of the NEC of the party, among other reliefs.