APC N/Central Forum to appeal High Court judgment on Ganduje’s removal

The North Central All Progressives Congress, APC Forum, has reacted to 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.

The Forum said it would appeal the judgment saying its lawyer has been instructed to file an appeal.

Recall that the Forum had sued Ganduje, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) asking for the nullification of the appointment of Ganduje as the National Chairman of the Party saying it is a violation of the Party’s constitution 2022 as amended as well as the zoning arrangement for the Party for the Chairmanship position to be from North Central and not the North West region where Ganduje comes from.

Also, the forum claimed that the appointment of Ganduje breached Article 13 of the APC Constitution because it was not done through a democratic process enshrined in the Party’s law.

In his Monday judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the suit, saying the Forum is not a juristic person and not registered in law and that it has no legal power to file the suit.

Ekwo stated the Forum failed to explore the internal mechanism for peaceful resolution of issues before rushing to the court, adding that the appointment of officers for APC by its National Executive Committee is an internal affair of the party that no court can dabble into.

However, the Chairman of the Forum, Saleh Zazzaga, said, “We will appeal the judgment, our lawyer has already been instructed to file the appeal. One vital thing we are seeking from the court is the interpretation of the Party 2022 constitution as amended and the zoning arrangement, but that wasn’t done.

“The earlier the President and the Party know that Ganduje’s remaining in office is retrogression for the Party and will incur legal liabilities for the Party, the better. 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 to that.”

Zazzaga thanked their members and supporters across the region, saying that they should remain dedicated, hopeful, and prayerful as they keep pursuing the developmental cause of the region as well as the needed democratic dividends.