S’Court to determine ADC’s fate today

By Victor Idajili

The Apex court has fixed today to deliver judgment on the party’s leadership crisis.

But the dispute deepened yesterday with a verdict by the Federal High Court in Abuja voiding congresses conducted by a faction of the party.

The apex court will, by 2 pm, rule on three appeals, including one filed by former Senate President David Mark, on the leadership structure of the ADC.

It was learnt that the apex court’s registry has since communicated the information to the parties.

The judgment is expected to determine which faction holds legitimate control of the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

A five-member panel of the court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, had reserved judgment on April 22 after hearing arguments from parties, informing counsel that a date would be communicated.

While two of the appeals relate to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the third – filed by Mark – has drawn particular attention because of its implications for the ADC’s internal power struggle and its readiness for the next electoral cycle.

A day before the Supreme Court’s decision, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or participating in any congresses conducted by committees set up by the David Mark-led Caretaker/Interim National Working Committee of the party.

The court held that the authority to conduct state congresses resides with duly elected state executive committees, not the national leadership acting in an interim capacity.

Justice Abdulmalik held that the tenure of the ADC’s State Working Committees and State Executive Committees remains valid and subsisting, pending the conduct of properly constituted congresses and a national convention.

She declared that the Mark-led caretaker leadership lacked constitutional backing to appoint congress committees or assume the powers of elected state organs.

“The procedure adopted… including the appointment of a congress committee, is not recognised by the party’s constitution,” the judge held.

She stressed that political parties must strictly adhere to their internal rules.

The court also dismissed preliminary objections that the matter was purely an internal party affair, ruling that alleged breaches of constitutional provisions are justiciable.

“Where a party alleges that its constitution has been violated, the court is bound to adjudicate,” she said.

Consequently, the court voided the congresses conducted under the disputed arrangement.

It barred INEC from recognising their outcomes, while also restraining the Mark-led leadership from taking steps that could undermine elected state executives.

The ruling followed a suit filed by several state party officials, who argued that the caretaker committee’s actions violated the ADC constitution and threatened internal democracy.