January 24, (THEWILL) – A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has struck out a suit challenging the competence of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Delivering judgement in the suit no: FHC/ABJ/857/2021, Justice Phoebe Ayua struck out the name of the APC National Chairman, the National Working Committee (NWC) and CECPC National Secretary sued as second, third and fourth defendants, respectively, for being non-juristic persons.
THEWILL recalls that a Delta State High Court had on October 15, 2021, struck out an action filed by Elvis Ayomanor and others, challenging the APC Ward, local council and state congresses.
The trial judge, Godwin Briki-Okolosi, had also on December 22, 2021, struck out suit no: A/139/ 2021, between Chukwusa Edafe Matthew and 14 others Vs. APC and others, to set aside the APC ward, local council and state congresses in Delta.
The court held that the action was non-justiciable and incurably incompetent, noting that the substratum of the matter bordered on the internal affairs of the ruling APC.
The latest Federal High Court ruling has, therefore, put to rest issues surrounding the legality of the Buni-led CECPC.
It corroborates a Supreme Court judgement, which held that “the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party is empowered to create, elect and appoint committees (including the instant CECPC) or any other committee it may deem necessary to act in any capacity.”
