Court rules on APC leadership tussle -

Two suits filed by some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State in relation to disputes over the party’s leadership has been dismissed by a Federal High in Abuja.

The members had also challenged the mode of primary to be adopted for selecting a candidate for the forthcoming governorship election, which the court also dismissed.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in two judgements on Monday, dismissed both suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/581/2018 and FHC/ABJ/CS/833/2019.

The first suit had asked the court to determine the true leaders of the party from the two sets of members of the party in the state claiming entitlement to its leadership while the second queried the decision of APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) to adopt an indirect primary in choosing the party’s candidate for the forthcoming governorship election.

The plaintiffs were of the view that the choice of the mode to be adopted for the primary cannot be determined while the leadership question in the state chapter of the party is still unresolved, with the pendency of the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/ 581/2018.

Justice Taiwo, in the first judgment, dismissed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/ 581/2018 for being statute barred on the grounds that it was not heard within the 180 days stipulated under Section 285(10) of the Constitution.

Justice Taiwo, in the second judgment on the case marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/833/2019, held that since this suit was predicated on the first suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/ 581/2018), which had been dismissed, it was unnecessary determining issues raised in the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/833/2018 on the grounds that they have become academic, reports The Nation.