An Abuja Federal High Court on Tuesday ordered all parties in a suit bordering on the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to maintain status quo pending the determination of the case.
Justice J.O. Abdulmalik gave the order following an application for adjournment by counsel to one of the defendants to enable a response to the plaintiffs’ processes.
The plaintiffs, led by Don Norman Obinna and six others, are suing on behalf of state chairmen and state executive committees of the ADC.
The defendants include the ADC, David Mark, Patricia Akwashiki, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The plaintiffs are challenging the legality of a caretaker or interim national working committee headed by Mark, which they allege lacks the constitutional authority to organize state congresses or appoint congress committees.
They are seeking declarations that their tenure as state executive committees remains valid and that only duly constituted state executive committees have the authority to organize state congresses.
They also urged the court to restrain INEC from recognizing or participating in any congress organized by the caretaker committee.
The suit is the latest development in an ongoing leadership dispute within the ADC, centered on the control of party structures ahead of planned congresses and political realignments.
At the heart of the disagreement is the role of a caretaker or interim national working committee, which some party stakeholders accuse of overstepping its constitutional powers.
The plaintiffs contend that, under the party’s constitution and the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the tenure of state executive committees subsists until valid congresses are conducted, and that any attempt to bypass them undermines internal party democracy.
In his ruling, Justice Abdulmalik directed all parties to file their relevant processes, adding that pending applications would be heard alongside the substantive suit.
The judge further ordered that all parties should refrain from taking any steps that could render the court proceedings nugatory.
He also directed that hearing notices be served on the affected defendants ahead of the next sitting.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to April 23 for a definite hearing.
Meanwhile, the Mark-led ADC leadership on Tuesday went ahead with its decision to hold the party’s national convention in Abuja.
But the exercise has been frustrated by inability to get a venue.
