Court Dismisses Fubara Dagogo’s Suit Against APC Congress, Imposes N20m Fine

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday dismissed a suit filed by All Progressives Congress member, Fubara Dagogo, challenging the outcome of the party’s recent national congress, holding that the matter was beyond the jurisdiction of the court.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, while delivering judgment, ruled that issues relating to nomination processes and internal activities of political parties are non-justiciable and cannot be entertained by the court.

The judge subsequently struck out the suit and imposed a N10 million fine each on Dagogo and his counsel, bringing the total cost awarded against them to N20 million in favour of the defendants.

Dagogo had approached the court to contest his alleged exclusion from the APC national convention election for the position of National Vice Chairman, South-South.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/591/2026, the APC, its National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, National Vice Chairman, South-South, Victor Giadom, and the party’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Muitamma, were listed as defendants.

The plaintiff, through his lawyer, Ogochukwu Onyema, asked the court to invalidate the outcome of the congress conducted for the South-South vice-chairmanship position, arguing that he was denied participation despite allegedly purchasing and paying for the required nomination and expression of interest forms.

Dagogo also sought a declaration affirming his eligibility to contest for the office based on payment receipts allegedly issued to him by the party.

He further demanded N100 million in damages over what he described as embarrassment and mental distress arising from the alleged exclusion.

However, the APC, through its counsel, Kayode Okunade, challenged the competence of the suit and urged the court to dismiss it for lack of jurisdiction.

The defence argued that the dispute bordered strictly on the domestic affairs of the party and that courts lacked the power to interfere in such matters.

Okunade maintained that complaints relating to nomination forms, screening and congress procedures fall within the internal mechanisms of political parties.

He also argued that the plaintiff failed to exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution channels before approaching the court.

In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik agreed with the submissions of the defendants, stressing that issues surrounding party nominations and congresses remain internal matters.

She held that the court could not intervene in the exercise of discretionary powers by political parties regarding their internal processes.

The judgment marks another legal setback in the series of disputes trailing party congresses and leadership contests ahead of the 2027 political season.