Three aggrieved members of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, have approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to demand the sack of the Senator David Mark-led interim leadership of the party. The plaintiffs – Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu and Haruna Ismaila – recently challenged the membership of Senator Mark and others who were appointed as interim leaders of the ADC.
According to the plaintiffs, among other things, the court should determine whether the purported handover of the party’s leadership structure to individuals involved in a merger did not constitute a direct violation of a subsisting judgment.
Their legal questions for the court were:
“Whether or not the appointment of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants as Interim National Chairman, National Secretary, and National Publicity Secretary of the lst Defendant was made in breach of the provisions of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Constitution, 2018 (as amended).
Whether or not, given the combined provisions of Article 9, paragraph D of the ADC Constitution, 2018 (as amended), the 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants are qualified to hold the respective offices to which they were appointed.
Whether the key individuals involved in the merger, like the 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants, were properly registered members of the 1st Defendant to qualify for a leadership position.
Whether the constitution of the 1st Defendant, being an existing and not a newly formed political party, makes provisions for interim leadership positions such as Interim National Chairman, Interim National Secretary, and Interim National Publicity Secretary.
Whether the current Executive Committee of the 1st Defendant ought not to have been dissolved or replaced only through a properly convened National Convention or a valid decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
Whether the 2nd Defendant can lawfully recognise the 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants as the Interim National Chairman, Interim National Secretary, and Interim National Publicity Secretary of the lst Defendant, by the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), 2018 (as amended)
Whether or not the 3rd Defendant’s purported handover of the party’s leadership structure to the newly constituted leadership of the ADC is not a direct violation of the judgment delivered in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1541/2022 by Hon.Justice Binta Nyako on 21st December 2022,” it read.
The plaintiffs appealed to the court to render the appointment and nomination of interim leadership for the party “unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void.”
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A court date is yet to be set for the case to be heard.
Recall that a coalition spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar recently announced the adoption of ADC as the platform that would challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
After the announcement, the ADC, through its founding National Chairman, Nwosu, declared the collapse of all structures of the party to enable a new leadership to drive a coalition of forces ahead of the 2027 general election.
