Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday dismissed a suit challenging the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) convention.
A member of the APC, Mr. Fubara Dagogo, had approached the court to void the recently held convention.
The judge, in a ruling, held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the case, which bordered on the internal affairs of a political party.
She held that issues surrounding candidates’ nomination and purchase of nomination form, including expression of interest form, are non-justiciable.
The judge, who struck out the suit, awarded a N10 million fine each against Dagogo and his lawyer, in favour of all the four respondents.
Dagogo, an aspirant, filed the suit to challenge his alleged exclusion from the party’s convention.
The plaintiff, through his lawyer, Ogochukwu Onyema, named APC and party’s National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, as respondents.
Others are the party’s National Vice Chairman, South-South, Victor Giadom, and the National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Muitamma.
In the originating summons, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/591/2026 dated March 22 and filed March 23 by his lawyer, Dagogo sought six reliefs.
The aggrieved aspirant prayed the court to nullify the outcome of any party’s congress for the position of National Vice Chairman, South-South, without his physical participation.
He urged the court to determine whether there could be a legitimate zonal congress for South-South with his alleged unlawful exclusion after he was duly cleared and paid for his expression of interest and nomination forms.
