An Abuja Federal High Court, on Tuesday, ordered all parties in a suit on the leadership of 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, had sued on behalf of state chairmen and state executive committees of ADC.
The defendants included ADC, David Mark, Patricia Akwashiki, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, and INEC.
The plaintiffs challenged the legality of a caretaker or interim national working committee headed by Mark, which they alleged lacked the constitutional authority to organise state congresses or appoint congress committees.
They sought declarations that their tenure as state executive committees remained valid and only duly constituted state executive committees had the authority to organise state congresses.
They also urged the court to restrain INEC from recog-nising or participating in any congress organised by the caretaker committee.
The suit was the latest development in an ongoing leadership dispute within ADC, centred on the control of party structures ahead of planned congresses and political realignments.
At the heart of the disagreement was the role of a caretaker or interim national working committee, which some party stakeholders accused of overstepping its constitutional powers.
The plaintiffs contended that, under the party’s constitution and the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the tenure of state executive committees subsisted until valid congresses were conducted, and that any attempt to bypass them undermined internal party democracy.
In his ruling, Abdulmalik directed all parties to file their relevant processes, adding that pending applications would be heard alongside the substantive suit.
The judge ordered that all parties should refrain from taking any steps that could render the court proceedings nugatory, directing further that hearing notices be served on the affected defendants ahead of the next sitting.
The matter was adjourned to April 23 for a definite hearing.
Chuks Okocha and Michael Olugbode
