ADC Crisis: Court orders Mark-led leadership to show cause Sep 15

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA– The Federal High Court sitting successful Abuja has ordered the Senator David Mark-led interim enactment of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to look earlier it connected September 15 to amusement origin wherefore the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should not beryllium barred from recognising them.

The court, successful the ruling that was delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, made the bid aft it refused an ex-parte exertion that was filed by a erstwhile Deputy National Chairman of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe.

The plaintiff, who is laying assertion to the chairmanship spot of the party, had successful the ex-parte exertion helium anchored connected a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, prayed the tribunal to restrain the Senator Mark-led faction from further parading themselves arsenic leaders of the party.

In the question that was dated September 2, the plaintiff specifically prayed the tribunal for: “An bid of interim injunction restraining the 4th suspect from recognizing the 2nd and 3rd defendants arsenic the National Chairman and National Secretary, their agents and privies of the 1st defendant/respondent herein, pending the proceeding of the question connected announcement hereby filed successful this matter.”

Cited arsenic 1st to 5th defendants successful the suit, are: the ADC; Senator Mark (Chairman); erstwhile politician of Osun State; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; INEC; arsenic good arsenic the contiguous past National Chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu.

However, successful the ruling helium delivered connected September 4, a transcript of which Vanguard sighted connected Thursday, Justice Nwite, alternatively of granting the ex-parte application, ordered the plaintiff to spell and enactment the defendants connected announcement by serving the ineligible processes connected them.

The court, held: “It is hereby ordered arsenic follows: “That the Plaintiff/Applicant’s exertion dated and filed 2/9/2025, is refused.

“That an bid of this honourable tribunal is hereby made directing the Plaintiff/Applicant to enactment the Defendants connected notice

“That the Defendants/Respondents are hereby ordered by this honourable tribunal to amusement origin wherefore the exertion should not beryllium granted.

“The lawsuit is hereby adjourned to 15th time of September, 2025,for the Respondents to amusement cause,” Justice Nwite further held successful the enrolled bid that was signed by the Registar of the court, Kasope Kafayat Bola.

INEC had precocious updated its records to bespeak the Senator Mark-led National Working Committee, NWC, of the ADC.

Three aggrieved members of the ADC had earlier approached the tribunal to sack the Senator Mark-led NWC.

The plaintiffs- Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu and Haruna Ismaila- further challenged the rank of Senator people and others that were appointed to pb the enactment successful the interim.

They prayed the tribunal to among different things, find whether the purported handover of the party’s enactment operation to individuals progressive successful a merger, was not a nonstop usurpation of a subsisting judgement.

While the ADC was cited arsenic the 1st suspect successful the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1328, the INEC and the contiguous past National Chairman of the party, Chief Nwosu, were joined arsenic 2nd and 3rd defendants.

Likewise, Senator Mark, ex-governor Aregbesola (the Interim National Secretary), and a erstwhile Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi (Interim National Publicity Secretary), were listed arsenic 4th, 5th and 6th defendants, respectively.

Specifically, the plaintiffs posed ineligible questions for the tribunal to determine, among which included: “Whether oregon not the assignment of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants arsenic Interim National Chairman, National Secretary, and National Publicity Secretary of the lst Defendant was made successful breach of the provisions of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Constitution, 2018 (as amended).”

“Whether oregon not, successful presumption of the combined provisions of Article 9, paragraph D of the ADC Constitution, 2018 (as amended), the 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants are qualified to clasp the respective offices to which they were appointed.

“Whether the cardinal individuals progressive successful the merger, similar 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants wherever decently registered members of the 1st Defendant to suffice for enactment position.

“Whether the constitution of the 1st Defendant, being an...