Court set new date to rule on suit seeking Ganduje’s removal
A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed September 23, 2024, for the judgment in a suit seeking the removal of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress.
At the previous sitting on July 5, the presiding Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, had fixed Wednesday, September 18, to deliver judgment in the suit but the matter was not listed in the Court’s cause list today.
Upon inquiry, it was revealed that the judgement was not ready and parties in the suit had earlier been communicated by the court registrar for a new date.
“We have already called the parties on the phone to inform them of the development. The new date is next week, September 23” it was revealed.
The North Central APC Forum, led by Saleh Zazzaga, had filed a suit argued by their counsel, Benjamin Davou, where they challenged the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone.
The plaintiffs in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, prayed the court to among others, bar Ganduje from further parading himself as the chairman of the APC.
They claimed that the National Executive Committee 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.
They further 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.
The plaintiffs claimed among others, that Ganduje is occupying the office of the APC chairman illegally not being from a state in the North Central geo-political zone.
They also asked 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 August 3, 2023.
The plaintiffs mentioned Ganduje, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, as 1st to 3rd respondents in the suit.