*Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
By Pathfinder Reporter
Saturday June 15, 2024
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A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ruled that it will hear on June 26 the suit seeking to sack the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, along with the objection raised against the competence of the suit.
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the ruling following the request by a lawyer to the plaintiff, the North Central APC Forum, Benjamin Davou, to be allowed time to reply to the responses filed by Ganduje.
In the suit, the forum, led by Saleh Zazzaga, is querying the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the national chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central.
The defendants in the case are Ganduje, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
At the mention of the case yesterday, Davou said although the suit was slated for hearing, it would not be possible because Ganduje’s lawyer, Raymond Asikeni, just served him the notice of preliminary objection and counter-affidavit filed by the first defendant.
Davou promised to file his reply first thing next Wednesday, after the public holiday, to the two sets of documents that Ganduje filed.
Justice Ekwo adjourned till June 26 for hearing, saying: “On the date of hearing, the preliminary objection will be taken together with the substantive suit.”
The judge added: “The processes of any party that is absent from court shall be deemed as adopted.”
The plaintiff, in the main suit, prayed the court to, among others, restrain Ganduje from further parading himself as the national chairman of the APC.
It also prayed the court to issue an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to accord recognition to all actions taken by the APC, including congresses, primaries, and nominations, since Ganduje became the APC national chairman on August 3, last year.
The plaintiff contended, among others, that Ganduje is occupying the office of the APC national chairman illegally, not being from a state in the Northcentral.
The plaintiff argued that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC breached the party’s constitution when it appointed Ganduje, from Kano State in the Northwest, to replace Senator Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State in the Northcentral.
It also 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 National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.
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