Five aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have asked the Federal Court, Abuja, to stop the party from going ahead with its planned national convention.
The ruling party is expected to hold its national convention in February.
In an application and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/3/2022 and dated January 4, 2022 filed by their lawyer, Olusola Ojo, the plaintiffs said the party had conducted congresses in 34 out of 36 states of the federation as of October 16, 2021.
The plaintiffs – Suleiman Dimas Usman, Muhammed Shehu, Samaila Isahaka, Idris Isah and Audu Emmanuel- are APC members in Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni, the APC and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are listed as respondents in the suit.
The aggrieved members told the court that it was unacceptable for the party leadership to hold a national convention without conducting congresses in Anambra and Zamfara States.
They asked the court to determine among others: “Whether having regard to sections 40 and 224 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, Article 20 of the Constitution of the APC, the respondents can validly organise and conduct a national convention pursuant to section 85(3) of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, without first conducting state congresses in all the 36 states of the federation.
“An order of directing the 1st and 2nd Defendants to first conduct state congresses in Anambra and Zamfara before the national convention.”
No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
The APC congresses held last year in states across the country were marred by crises with different factions organising parallel exercises in defiance of the party’s directives.