Court dismisses suit challenging APC national congress in Abuja

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by Fubara Dagogo, who claimed to be a member of the All Progressives Congress, seeking to nullify the party’s recently held national congress.

Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the court did not have jurisdiction to hear the case.

The judge explained that the issues raised in the suit, which relate to nomination and purchase of forms, fall within the internal affairs of political parties and are therefore not subject to judicial interference.

Justice Abdulmalik further stated that matters concerning candidates’ nomination processes are strictly party affairs, over which courts are generally not permitted to intervene.

With the ruling, the court declined to entertain the suit and dismissed it for lack of jurisdiction.

The judge upheld the preliminary objection filed by the four defendants and proceeded to dismiss the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/591/2026 filed March 23.

Justice Abdulmalik, relying on the provision of Section 83(6) of the Electoral Act 2026, awarded the cost of N10million each against the plaintiff and his lawyer, Chief Sir O. A. U. Onyema.

According to the judge, the N20m cost awarded by the court against the plaintiff and his lawyer, are in favour of the four defendants.

Listed as defendants in the suit are the APC, its National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the party’s National Vice Chairman, South South, Victor Giadom and APC’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Muitamma.

Dagogo claimed in the suit that he was denied opportunity to purchase nomination and expression of interest forms to contest for position of the party’s National Vice Chairman, South South.

He further claimed that he was excluded from participating in the party’s national convention election.

Among the reliefs sought by Dagogo included an order nullifying the outcome of any congress for the position of National Vice Chairman, South South, without his physical participation.

He urged the judge to determine whether there could be a legitimate zonal congress for South South APC with his alleged unlawful exclusion after he was duly cleared and paid for his expression of interest (EoI) and nomination forms

Dagogo prayed the court to declare that by virtue of APC’s Payment Acknowledgement Receipt No. 26827 dated March 13 and issued to him, he is entitled to be issued with the requisite expression of interest and nomination forms as an aspirant for the position of National Vice Chairman, South —South Nigeria.

He equally urged the court to award a general damages of N100 million against the 3rd and 4th defendants for the discomfitures, embarrassments and mental torture, they occasioned to him with their ill conduct.

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