The Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has been dragged before a High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory by an erstwhile national chairmanship aspirant of the APC, Mohammed Saidu Etsu, for allegedly staying in office illegally as the party’s national chairman.

Also joined in the suit alongside the embattled Ganduje as respondents are: APC, National Executive Committee of the party and the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC

The plaintiff, Mohammed Saidu Etsu is praying the court for an order restraining Abdullahi Ganduje from Parading himself as the National Chairman of the party.

He is also praying the court for an order prohibiting Abdullahi Umar Ganduje from presiding over the National Executive and National Working Committees meeting of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

In the suit marked CV/2258/CS/2024, the plaintiff, Mohammed Saidu Etsu urged the court to set aside the appointment of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the national chairman of the party.

He prayed the court to determine the following question: “Whether by the provisions of Article 7(vii) and (ix) of the APC Constitution (supra) the APC is not bound by the consensus reached by its leaders at the 2022 National Convention held in Abuja, Nigeria, that the National Chairman of the APC from 2022 to 2026 must be someone from the North Central Geo-political Zone of the country.

“Whether it is in tandem with Article 14.2 (ii) for the National Executive Committee of the APC on 3rd August 2023, to appoint Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who is from the North West Geopolitical Zone of the country to act as National Chairman of the APC, after the then APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu resigned his position as APC National Chairman?

“Whether the APC National Chairman can only be elected at the National Convention of the APC Convention by Article 13 (1) of the APC , Whether the National Constitution is not the final authority of the APC.”

He also prayed the court for the following reliefs: A declaration that by virtue of Article 7 (ix) and (x) of the Constitution of the APC, the APC is bound to promote and uphold the practice of internal democracy at all levels of the party organization and institutionalise, maintain and foster representative democracy, discipline and strict observance of the rule of law in the Federation of Nigeria.

A declaration that the 3rd Defendant failed, refused and or neglected to comply with the procedure laid down in Article 31.5 of the APC constitution (supra) in the replacement of Senator Abdullahi Adamu with Ganduje as National Chairman of APC on 27 August, 2023;

An order setting aside the appointment of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje by the 3™ Defendant as the National Chairman of the APC on 3 August 2023 on the ground that the 3% Defendant failed, refused and or neglected to comply with the procedure laid down by Article 31.5 of the APC Constitution (supra);

A declaration that the National Executive Committee of the APC has no modicum or scintilla of power to appoint Ganduje on 3rd August 2023, as the National Chairman of the party:

An Order of Injunction restraining Ganduje from parading or representing or holding out himself as the National Chairman of the APC in any form or guise, whatsoever;

An Injunction restraining or prohibiting Ganduje from presiding over the National Executive and National Working Committees, respectively, or any other organ of the APC;

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter. (Nigerian Tribune)

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