The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, dissolved the chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the United Kingdom (UK) and all foreign countries for being illegal.
Delivering judgement in a suit brought by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judge, Peter Kekemeke, settled the long-running controversy surrounding the existence and operation of diaspora chapters of political parties registered in Nigeria.
He ordered the APC to transfer over N30 million generated from the sale of forms to INEC. He ruled that the APC lacked the power to raise those funds outside Nigeria.
“The first defendant has no legal power and capacity to establish, hold, maintain, recognise, supervise or monitor and or receive or maintain or solicit or receive funds from any person of his political party membership in the Executive Committee of Governing Council outside the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the judge said.
It added that the APC or any political party must notify INEC and account for all donations received from outside Nigeria within 21 days, in compliance with the Nigerian constitution.
