With the presidential election less than ten weeks away, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is racing to save its leadership and its presidential ticket. It has asked the Court of Appeal to overturn a ruling that nullified the David Mark-led leadership, and it wants INEC to do nothing until the court decides.
The stakes go beyond party offices. The November 5 judgment by Justice Peter Lifu also affected the process that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate.
The ADC says it has filed a notice of appeal. It has also applied for a stay of execution, which would suspend the judgment while the appeal is heard. That application has not yet been decided.
That leaves the party in a tight spot. Until the court rules on the stay, the judgment stands, and the ADC is relying on INEC to hold back voluntarily.
Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, said INEC has been formally notified and must not act as though the case does not exist.
“The Commission must respect the judicial process and allow the appellate court to hear the case,” he said.
He warned that any move by INEC before the appeal is heard could pre-empt the Court of Appeal and undermine the dispute’s resolution.
The party’s lawyers, S. E. Aruwa, SAN & Co., wrote to the INEC chairman on November 6, notifying him of the appeal and asking the commission to suspend further action on the subject matter of the suit.
Despite the legal threat, the party says it is not slowing down. “This is not the end of the road. The ADC is taking every lawful step to defend its rights, and we will not be intimidated or distracted from that responsibility,” Shaibu said.
He urged supporters to stay calm. “Our campaigns continue without interruption. There is no stopping the affordability train or our mission to make life better for Nigerians,” he said.
The case was brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC National Deputy Chairman for the North-East. He challenged the emergence of Mark and the caretaker committee after former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu resigned, arguing that he was constitutionally entitled to take over the party’s leadership.
The court ruled against the Mark-led leadership and nullified the caretaker committee and its decisions, including actions on the process for choosing the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.
ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi called the judgment an attempt to cripple the opposition and deny Nigerians the right to choose their leaders.