A fresh wave of internal crisis may soon rock the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following the admission of a new lawsuit by six aggrieved members of the party from Ekiti State who are challenging their alleged unlawful exclusion from the party’s membership register.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has formally admitted the suit, filed under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2273/2025, which has drawn national attention to questions surrounding internal democracy and transparency within the APC.
The plaintiffs — Omotoso Babatunde Peter, Akogun Abayomi Olumide, Fatai Bello Temitope, Babatola Ayodeji, Usman Ayodeji, and Chief Ropo Ige — are asking the court to determine whether their removal or exclusion from the party’s membership list in Ekiti State was carried out in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the APC’s own internal rules.
Listed as defendants in the case are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, the incumbent Governor of Ekiti State.
According to the Originating Summons, the plaintiffs brought the matter before the court under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Order 3 Rule 9 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019. They contend that their exclusion from the APC membership register violates their fundamental rights to fair hearing and freedom of association as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.
The court documents, duly stamped and filed on October 24, 2025, indicate that the defendants have 30 days from the date of service to enter an appearance, failing which the court may proceed to hear and determine the matter in their absence.
Legal analysts have noted that the outcome of this case could set a major judicial precedent for similar political disputes across Nigeria, especially regarding intra-party democracy, membership rights, and candidate selection processes.
As at the time of filing this report, neither the APC national leadership nor INEC had issued any official statement regarding the pending litigation. However, political observers believe the matter could reopen old wounds within the party’s Ekiti State chapter, which has in recent years been plagued by allegations of factionalism and exclusionary practices.
The case is expected to come up for hearing in the coming weeks before the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, where both sides are anticipated to present their legal arguments on the interpretation of the constitutional and procedural questions raised by the plaintiffs.
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