Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that he will hear the suit seeking to sack the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje on June 26.
The suit would be heard along with the objection raised against the competence of the suit.
Justice Ekwo gave the ruling on Thursday following the request by the lawyer to the plaintiff – the North Central APC Forum – Benjamin Favour to be allowed time to reply to the responses filed by Ganduje.
The North Central APC Forum, led by Saleh Zazzaga, is in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024 querying the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone.
Favour 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.
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He promised to file his reply to the two sets of documents files by Ganduje first thing on Wednesday after the public holiday.
Justice Ekwo then adjourned till June 26 for hearing, adding: “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, wants the court to, among others, restrain Ganduje from further parading himself as the Chairman of the APC.
The plaintiff also wants 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 APC Chairman on August 3, 2023.