Supreme Court of Nigeria Voids Appeal Court Order in African Democratic Congress Leadership Dispute

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has set aside an earlier ruling by the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal concerning the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), marking a significant development in the ongoing legal battle. 

In a unanimous judgment delivered by a five-member panel, the apex court nullified the Appeal Court’s directive that parties maintain the status quo ante bellum in the dispute. 

The order had previously influenced the actions of the Independent National Electoral Commission, which moved to derecognise the leadership led by David Mark. Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Mohammed Garba held that the Court of Appeal overstepped its bounds by issuing a preservative order on a matter still pending before the trial court. 

According to the ruling, once the appellate court had determined the interlocutory appeal before it, it lacked the jurisdiction to make further orders affecting the substantive case. 

The Supreme Court subsequently directed all parties involved in the dispute to return to the Federal High Court for an expedited hearing of the suit. The case was originally filed by an aggrieved party chieftain, Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is challenging, among other issues, the emergence of the Mark-led leadership within the ADC. 

The judgment effectively resets the legal process, placing responsibility back on the trial court to examine the substantive claims and determine the legitimacy of the party’s leadership structure. 

Legal analysts say the ruling reinforces the principle that appellate courts must exercise caution when intervening in matters still under consideration at lower courts, particularly in politically sensitive disputes. 

The development adds another layer to the ongoing internal crisis within the ADC, as stakeholders await the outcome of the substantive case at the Federal High Court.

Stay tuned more to come…