The lingering leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken a new twist, as former presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu declared that the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria effectively strips all contending factions of legitimacy.
In a pointed reaction issued in Abuja, Kachikwu framed the apex court’s decision not as a victory for any camp, but as a decisive refusal to legitimise what he described as competing unconstitutional claims to the party’s leadership.
Rather than settling the dispute, the Supreme Court’s directive for parties to return to the trial court has, in Kachikwu’s view, reset the contest—placing the burden of proof squarely on all claimants.
“The court has made it abundantly clear that it will not impose leadership by judicial fiat,” he said. “Every group is free to lay claim, but none has been validated.”
No Winner, Only a Reset
Kachikwu was emphatic in rejecting interpretations that the ruling favoured any bloc, including the faction associated with former Senate President, David Mark.
According to him, the absence of any directive to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise a specific leadership underscores the neutrality—and limits—of the judgment.
“This is not a victory for anyone. It is a clear message that legitimacy must be earned through due process, not assumed through political maneuvering,” he said.
Legal Battles, Political Consequences
Analysts say the ruling has effectively prolonged the ADC’s internal crisis, transforming what could have been a decisive legal closure into an extended political and judicial contest.
By vacating the status quo order and declining to affirm any leadership, the Supreme Court has returned the dispute to its most fundamental question: who truly controls the party under its constitution?
Kachikwu reinforced this position by citing an earlier Federal High Court ruling delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, which upheld the authority and tenure of the party’s state executive committees and warned against parallel structures operating outside constitutional provisions.
A Party at Risk of Fragmentation
The combined effect of the rulings, Kachikwu argued, is a stark warning against attempts to construct leadership outside the party’s constitutional framework.
“What we are witnessing are structures built without foundation. They cannot stand the test of law or time,” he said.
He also issued a caution to party members and stakeholders, urging them to avoid aligning with what he termed “illegitimate arrangements,” while reiterating that the ADC remains a constitutional platform, not a political asset to be seized.
“The ADC is not for sale,” he declared.
2027 Calculations Already in Play
With the battle now firmly back in the lower courts, the ADC faces a prolonged period of uncertainty at a time when political parties are expected to begin early positioning for the 2027 general elections.
Observers warn that unless the crisis is resolved swiftly, the party risks internal fragmentation, weakened cohesion, and diminished relevance in Nigeria’s increasingly competitive political landscape.
.
ADC: Kachikwu Interprets Supreme Court Ruling as Total Rejection of Factions
