A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday slated September 18 to deliver judgement in a suit seeking the removal of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date after counsel for the respective parties adopted their brief of arguments for and against the suit.
The plaintiff, the North Central APC Forum, led by Saleh Zazzaga, is in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, querying the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone.
Listed as defendants in the case are Ganduje, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In his submissions, counsel to the plaintiff, Benjamin Davou, argued that Ganduje’s appointment to replace Abdullahi Adamu was contrary to Article 31.5(1) f of the APC constitution and ultra vires the powers of the NEC of the party.
The plaintiff added that, by the true interpretation of Article 31.5(1) of the APC. Constitution 2013 (as amended), the party is bound to comply with the procedure for the replacement of an officer in the event of a vacancy and ought to appoint a member from Nasarawa State in the North Central geopolitical zone into the office of the chairman of the party.
The plaintiff wants the court to, among other things, declare that by Article 20(1) of the APC constitution 2013 as amended, Ganduje cannot be appointed as the National Chairman of the party other than through democratically conducted elections and that his current occupation of the office is illegal.
It equally seeks a declaration that, under the provisions of Article 13 of the APC Constitution 2013 (as amended), the party’s national convention is the final authority of the party, which has the power to elect or remove national officers of the party, including the national chairman of the party.
The plaintiff also wants a declaration that the party’s NEC lacked the power to appoint any person to the office of the Chairman, among others.
However, counsel to Ganduje, Ishaka Mohammed Diko (SAN), in urging the court to dismiss the suit, argued that the election that brought the incumbent chairman of the APC was dully conducted according to the constitution of the party.
He said it is strange that the plaintiffs are challenging the emergence of his client.
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