A hearing notice has been legally sent to the All Progressives Congress (APC) by a High Court in Maitama, Abuja, after the party did to show up for court hearings pertaining to a refund claim filed by one of its former candidates.
Sunny Moniedafe, the plaintiff and former candidate for APC Deputy National Chairman (North), is requesting the reimbursement of ₦10 million that he spent for a nomination form before to the party’s national convention in 2022. The case is filed under the number FCT/HC/CV/2434/2024.
He bought the form in advance of the APC National Convention on March 26, 2022, Moniedafe recalled.
He did note, however, that the party leadership, under by then-President Muhammadu Buhari, demanded a unanimous choice that a candidate from Borno State, in the North-East region, be given the job.
With guarantees that those who agreed would receive reimbursement, he added, all other candidates were told to withdraw.
He claims that “despite my repeated demands, the defendant’s leadership blatantly refused, failed, and neglected to refund the said ₦10 million from March 2022 to the time of filing this case, thereby reneging on its promise.”
Both Moniedafe and his attorney, Okoi Obono-Obla, were present during the session on Monday. But no one, not even through legal representation, showed up on behalf of the APC.
The party’s absence raised concerns, according to Justice Yusuf Halilu, who is overseeing the case. “The accused is not present in court and is not being represented,” the judge said.
Despite a defense submission already in front of the court, he also pointed out that there was no proof of service. “There is no evidence of service here,” Justice Halilu stated, directing the registrar to act quickly by informing APC’s legal representative and making sure they receive any pertinent court records.
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“We are very diligent, my lord,” Obono-Obla replied. If we are served, we will react right away.
A motion submitted by the APC asking for further time to reply was also taken into consideration by the judge. “The defendant’s application for a time extension is hereby moved and granted,” Justice Halilu declared.
In order to hear more evidence regarding whether the APC was properly served with the hearing notice, he subsequently postponed the case until July 15, 2025.
