Jos. The Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed the North Central All Progressives Congress, or APC Forum, petition on Monday, dismissing the party’s attempt to remove Abdullahi Ganduje from his position as National Chairman. The APC Forum responded to the decision.

The Forum declared that it would appeal the ruling, claiming that its attorney had been given the go-ahead to do so.

Recall that the Forum had filed a lawsuit against Ganduje, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), requesting the annulment of Ganduje’s appointment as the Party’s National Chairman. The lawsuit claimed that this action violated both the Party’s amended 2022 constitution and the zoning arrangement, which calls for the Chairmanship position to be held by a member of the North Central region rather than Ganduje’s home region of North West.

Furthermore, the forum asserted that because Ganduje’s appointment did not follow the democratic procedures outlined in Party legislation, it violated Article 13 of the APC Constitution.

Judge Inyang Ekwo dismissed the lawsuit in his ruling on Monday, stating that the Forum lacked the legal authority to launch the lawsuit because it is not a juristic person and is not registered with the government.

Before racing to court, Ekwo claimed the Forum had neglected to investigate the party’s internal channels for amicable dispute resolution. He also added that the APC’s National Executive Committee’s selection of executives is an internal matter that the court cannot get involved in.

Saleh Zazzaga, the Forum’s chairman, countered, saying, “We will appeal the judgement; our lawyer has already been instructed to file the appeal.” The interpretation of the Party 2022 constitution as amended and the zoning arrangement are two crucial things we are requesting from the court, but those things were not completed.

“The sooner the President and the Party realise that Ganduje’s continued tenure represents a step backward for the Party and would expose them to legal risks, the better. It is our belief that the Party will not wish to exchange Ganduje for the entirety of the North Central area. Thus, it is imperative to act quickly. I have nothing further to say about that.