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 suit, filed by the APC North Central Group, was struck down by the court on multiple legal grounds.

In his ruling, Justice Ekwo stated that the APC North Central Group, which initiated the case, lacked the legal standing to do so as it is not a juristic person and is not registered under the law. As such, the group had no legal capacity to file the suit.

Furthermore, the judge pointed out that the plaintiffs had failed to exhaust the party’s internal mechanisms for conflict resolution before turning to the courts. He emphasized that such issues, particularly concerning the appointment of party officers by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC, are internal matters and not subject to judicial intervention.

The APC North Central Group, led by Saleh Zazzaga, had dragged Ganduje, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court. They argued that Ganduje’s appointment on August 3, 2023, violated the party’s constitution. The group claimed that Article 13 of the APC Constitution was breached as the appointment did not follow the democratic processes outlined in the party’s laws.

The plaintiffs also contended that it was the turn of the North Central geo-political zone to fill the position of the APC National Chairman, making Ganduje’s appointment improper. As part of the suit, they sought to prevent Ganduje from continuing as the party’s chairman and called for INEC to reject all decisions taken by the APC since his appointment, including congresses and primaries.

However, Justice Ekwo’s ruling firmly stated that party leadership appointments are matters for the APC’s internal governance and are not within the purview of the court.