The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has struck out a suit seeking to stop the just-concluded national convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The plaintiff in the matter, Salisu Umoru, had dragged the chairman, APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the court to challenge the convention.
In his relief, Mr Umoru sought an order directing the APC and Mr Buni to stop the national convention and begin a reconciliation process to resolve all disputes emanated from the party’s local government congresses.
Justice Bello Kawu struck out the suit at the resumed hearing following a prayer by the plaintiff‘s counsel, Chike Akalanu, to withdraw the matter.
The plaintiff’s counsel told the court that Mr Umoru wanted to withdraw the suit following the turn of events at the convention.
Mr Kawu, in his ruling, awarded a cost of N100,000 to APC and Mr Buni against the plaintiff after the defence counsel, Divine Davies, applied to the court for a cost of N2 million for wasting the court’s time.
However, the counsel to INEC, Shamsudeen Danbaba, did not object to striking out the matter and did not ask for any financial reward.
The court vacated an interlocutory order on November 18, stopping the APC national convention from holding.
The court vacated the order following the defence counsel’s application for the court to set it aside on March 18.
The defence counsel was Shuaibu Aruwa (SAN).
Mr Kawu vacated the order relying on the recent Supreme Court decision, which held that a party member does not have the right to take a political party to court.
(NAN)
