Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the APC North Central Group seeking the removal of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The group had claimed Ganduje’s appointment violated the APC Constitution, but the court ruled the suit inadmissible on multiple grounds.

Justice Ekwo held that the APC North Central Group lacks the legal standing to file the suit, as it is not a registered legal entity. Additionally, the judge noted that the group failed to utilize the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court. Ekwo also emphasized that the appointment of party officers is an internal matter of the APC’s National Executive Committee, which the court cannot intervene in.

The plaintiff argued that Ganduje’s appointment breached Article 13 of the APC Constitution, as it did not follow the party’s democratic processes. Furthermore, they claimed Ganduje’s appointment was improper, as the position of party chairman should have been filled by someone from the North Central geo-political zone, rather than Ganduje, who is from Kano State in the North West.

Despite these arguments, the court dismissed the case, stating that internal party affairs, such as appointments made by the National Executive Committee, are beyond the court’s jurisdiction. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, had listed Ganduje, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.