By Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
The Federal High Court in Jalingo, Taraba State, on Wednesday reserved its ruling in a suit seeking to nullify the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship primary election in the state.
Justice Mashkur Salisu adjourned the case to a date to be communicated after hearing arguments from the parties involved.
During the proceedings, counsel to the plaintiff, Abdulhadi Lau, Musa Attach (SAN), argued that his client had the right to contest for the APC chairmanship position in Taraba State but was unlawfully denied the opportunity.
Attach maintained that the court had the jurisdiction to hear the suit, despite the defence’s argument that the matter concerned the internal affairs of the party.
He also disputed the claim by counsel to the second defendant that Lau had failed to pay his party dues for the 2023–2025 period.
According to him, his client paid for the nomination process but was denied the necessary form to contest.
”He was denied the form to contest after paying the money. A receipt of payment was issued to the plaintiff, but the receipt for the purchase of the expression of interest form was not issued to him,” Attach said.
However, counsel to the APC, Festus Kayode (SAN), urged the court to strike out the suit, arguing that the documents presented before it had been properly signed.
Kayode maintained that the dispute concerned the internal affairs of the party and, therefore, fell outside the court’s jurisdiction.
”As the party said, you cannot contest or qualify. It is an internal affair of the party,” he said.
Similarly, counsel to the second defendant, John Okezie, argued that the plaintiff had paid for the expression of interest form but failed to pay the penalty fee stipulated in the party’s constitution.
Okezie added that Lau had not presented evidence of payment of the penalty fee or evidence from the party’s National Working Committee to support his claims.
The suit was filed by Lau, an APC chairmanship aspirant, who is challenging the conduct and outcome of the party’s primary election in Taraba State.
The plaintiff is seeking an order nullifying the exercise, alleging that he was unlawfully excluded from participating despite purchasing the required forms and meeting the conditions to contest the position.
Lau claimed that he had completed the necessary procedures and was qualified to participate in the primary but was denied the opportunity without a valid explanation.
He argued that his exclusion violated his rights and undermined the principles of internal democracy within the party.
Through his legal team, he urged the court to intervene, insisting that allowing the alleged exclusion to stand could undermine democratic principles and the integrity of the electoral process.