ADC Dispute Moves to Supreme Court, As DAVID MARK-Led Exco Faults Appeal Court Judgement

The DAVID-MARK led African Democratic Congress, ADC, says it has initiated steps to challenge the Court of Appeal judgement nullifying its ward, local government and state congresses.

The ADC reminded its members that the Court of Appeal judgment has no effect on the direct primaries through which its candidates emerged for the 2027 elections.

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, BOLAJI ABDULLAHI, the party described the ruling as legally unsustainable, adding that the dissenting judgment better reflects the law and its position.

ADC urged members and supporters to remain calm, insisting it remains committed to providing Nigerians with a credible alternative in line with the Constitution and the rule of law.

In a split decision of two-to-one, the panel of three Justices of the Appeal Court in Abuja held that there was no reason to set aside the restraining order the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on April 29.

According to the lead judgment delivered by Justice OKON ABANG, the appellate court agreed with Justice JOYCE ABDULMALIK that the responsibility for conducting state congresses of political parties rests with elected state executive committees.

However, Justice MOHAMMED delivered a minority judgment, in which he held that the case that led to the restraining order bordered on a non-justiciable internal affair of a political party, and that the trial court was wrong to have assumed jurisdiction to entertain the matter.