21 Ward Chair Aspirants Sue APC over Undemocratic Congresses Amidst N20m Form Payment

By Praise Chinecherem

Twenty-one ward chairmanship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 18 ward and local government congresses of the party in Anambra State have dragged the party to Federal High Court in Awka over its failure to conduct democratic congresses after payment of N20million forms.

They asked for the declaration of the court that they were entitled to be issued with forms for ward congresses of the party.

They argued that the forms for which they paid into the party’s coffers if issued, would have also entitled them to appear for ward screening and congresses or at any adjourned date thereon in line with the electoral guidelines of the party.

Chief G. Tagbo Ike, (SAN) counsel to the 21 applicants leading 11 other lawyers in the chambers of Ike, Ike and Associates, Arena of law, Carr street, Enugu had on February 16,2026, filled a Suit NO: FHC /AWK/CS/50/2026, on behalf of the applicants at the Federal High Court sitting in the Awka Judicial division.

The court is presided over by Hon. Justice Bala Khalifa Mohammed Usman.

They had sued for themselves as aspirants to the offices of ward chairmen, and as representatives of all the aspirants to offices of ward chairmen in the ward congresses in the 21 Local Government Areas of Anambra State in the February 18,2026, ward congresses of the party.

Joined in the suit are All Progressives Congress, APC , as first respondent, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the National Chairman of APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, National Secretary, H.E. Hon .Aminu Bello Masari, Chairman of APC Nationwide Congresses and Convention Hon. Basil Ejidike,sued as for himself and as representative of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of Anambra APC.

Others are Senator Uche Ekwunife as Chairperson of state caucus and consensus committee, APC, Anambra State and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

They were joined in the matter as 2nd to 7th respondents respectively.

They had contended in their statement of claims that the applicants are all financially up to date members of APC, a registered political party in Nigeria, who are also aspirants to the offices of ward chairmen in the state’s 21 local government areas.

According to them, they were maintaining the suit for themselves and as representatives of other aspiring ward chairmen in 305 wards in Anambra State in the February 18, 2026 ward congresses constituting the 326 wards of the state excepting their co- aspirants who are cohorts of 5th and 6th respondents.

They also sought as part of their reliefs, a declaration of the court that the failure of the first respondent to issue forms for ward congresses to the applicants upon payment for forms is segregation and in breach of the first respondent’s electoral guidelines, as well as sections 40 and 42 of the 1999 constitution of federal republic of Nigeria as amended , and duty implicit in Exhibit “B”- which is the adjusted APC 2026 schedule of Nation- wide congresses, National congresses , National convention and related activities.

Even as they sought the court to declare that it is incumbent on the first respondent to refund to the applicants the sum of N20million paid to it in the event that no ward congresses were held for them, they also asked for a perpetual injunction restraining the 1st to 6th respondents from howsoever conducting the February 18,2026, ward congresses in Anambra State at any adjournment date until applicants are issued forms for the exercise, attend screening and are billed to stand for ward congresses at an adjourned date.

In another relief, they sought for a perpetual mandatory order of court setting aside the ward congresses in the 326 wards in Anambra State in the event of conduct of same without the participation of the applicants .

Again, the award of N100million against the party as the 1st respondent down to the 2nd to 6th respondents jointly and severally for breach of the APC constitution and adjusted APC 2026, schedule of nation- wide congresses, national convention and related activities, as well as exemplary and general damages for all inconveniences caused them.

They said they sought these reliefs on the ground that they are members of APC, a voluntary organisation pursuant to section 40 of the Nigerian constitution,1999, as amended and as a registered political party in Nigeria pursuant to section 222 of the same constitution.

On this score, they are entitled to aspire to contest for ward chairmanship positions in 326 wards in the state in the February 18 , ward congresses in their respective wards.

They had brought the suit for themselves as aspirants to the offices of ward chairmen in the February 18 ,ward congresses and as representatives of other aspirants in 305 ward congresses in Anambra state excepting aspirants who are cohorts of 5th and 6th respondents in Anambra state.

The constitution of the APC under article 27, they contended provides for a tenure of four years for its party offices, which life span of office holders in Anambra had expired prior to the scheduled country- wide congresses of February 18, 2026.

The applicants they said made block payments along with others aspiring for local government offices on February 9,2026, but that the 2nd,3rd and 4th respondents’ Secretariat denied the forms duly paid for in an umbrella name of J. P. C Millan Nig.Ltd.

These forms they contended were never issued to them, adding that a whooping sum of N20,000,000.00 was paid into the 1st respondent’s Account No: 1223069612 with Zenith Bank PLC.

In the light of these under hand tactics allegedly employed by the 5th and 6th respondents to block free and fair congresses in Anambra state, the applicants along with other progressive minded party men and women they said wrote an open letter on the activities of 5th and 6th respondents in the state which they forwarded to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents.

The letter they pointed out had urged the party’s top echelon to ensure the conduct of a free, fair and transparent congresses to no avail, stressing that it was evident that the top echelon of the 1st respondent couldn’t check the activities the 5th and 6th respondents in denying applicants their right to vie for party offices of their choices.

They said the judicial review remedy to check the excesses of the 5th and 6th respondents had become inevitable, emphasizing that it’s unconscionable in equity for the 1st respondent to receive the sum of N20million from applicants for sole purpose of sale of forms for the ward congresses, keep the sum and deny the applicants the same forms.

“It’s unjustifiable enrichment which is recoverable in law if no forms were made available for the applicants to contest. In the circumstances, the 1st respondent and her principal officers in 2nd to 6th respondents have thrown the applicants under the bus.

“It is imperative to suspend the planned ward congresses of February 18,2026, to await the resolution of the impasse and afford the 1st respondent and her principal officers to do the needful , issue forms to the applicants, avail them the opportunity of screening and stand for election at the ward congresses.

“In the event of the ward congresses proceeding ahead without participation of the applicants, same is to be set aside as it is in the interest of justice to grant the reliefs sought,” they prayed.