The North Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has said it will appeal Monday’s ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja, which dismissed their suit seeking the removal of Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the party.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The North Central APC forum had dragged Ganduje, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the court, praying for the nullification of Ganduje’s appointment as the National Chairman of the party.
The party had said the appointment was a violation of the party’s 2022 constitution as amended, as well as the zoning arrangement for the chairmanship position, which was allocated to the North Central and not the North West region where Ganduje comes from.
Additionally, the forum claimed that Ganduje’s appointment breached Article 13 of the APC Constitution because it was not done through a democratic process enshrined in the party’s law.
In Monday’s judgement, Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the suit on several grounds. According to him, the APC North Central Forum is not a juristic person and is not registered in law, and therefore has no legal power to file the suit.
Ekwo also noted that the plaintiff failed to explore the internal mechanisms for peaceful resolution of issues before rushing to court, adding that the appointment of officers for APC by its National Executive Committee is an internal affair of the party, into which no court can intervene.
Reacting to the judgement, the Chairman of the North Central APC Forum, Saleh Zazzaga, said they would appeal the judgement, stressing that their lawyer has already been instructed to file the appeal.
Zazzaga said they were not surprised by the court’s judgement because they know Ganduje and his ability to influence outcomes, as well as his confidence in always having his way with the judiciary, which suggests some kind of relationship with the judicial system.
He told newsmen yesterday in Jos, the Plateau State capital, that one vital thing they are seeking from the court is the interpretation of the party’s 2022 constitution as amended and the zoning arrangement, but this was not addressed.
He added that they would pursue their case to a legal and logical conclusion while continuing their strategy with party chieftains and stakeholders from the region to secure the rights, privileges, and benefits of the region within the APC structure and the APC administration in general.
He pointed out that in this battle, a few individuals from the region have been betraying them for their selfish interests rather than for the good of the entire region, and that they know all those individuals and will address their betrayals decisively. He said they would also reveal to the people of the region who these betrayers are, so the region will clearly know who the enemies within are.
“When President Bola Tinubu reportedly tipped Ganduje for an ambassadorial appointment in an African country, we knew how Ganduje vehemently rejected the idea, and he was boasting of winning his court cases. That implies that he can have his way with the judiciary. Otherwise, why would he boast of winning such a case and others? But that won’t deter us.
“Just look at the corruption trial Ganduje is facing in Kano alongside his wife, son, and other accomplices to the tune of over N50 billion. Look at our case against him and that of his APC ward in Kano
“The earlier the president and the party realise that Ganduje remaining in office is a setback for the party and will incur legal liabilities for the party, the better.
“Besides, we believe that the party will not want to trade the whole of the North Central region for Ganduje. So the needful should be done fast. That is all I can say on that,” he said.
Zazzaga thanked their members and supporters across the region, urging them to remain dedicated, hopeful, and prayerful as they continue to pursue the developmental cause of the region and the needed democratic dividends.
He commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for providing the needed governance and quality leadership, as well as his economic reforms, which he said would ultimately benefit the country in the long run.
He also thanked the people of Edo State for voting for the APC over the weekend in the governorship election, stressing that the victory was a result of the confidence the people have in President Tinubu, who is the leader of the party.