By Alex Igbekhe
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected Monday’s Court of Appeal judgment concerning its ward, local government, and state congresses, describing the ruling as “legally unsustainable” while confirming it has commenced an appeal process to the Supreme Court.
Spear News Nigeria reports that the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday delivered a split two-to-one judgment affirming a Federal High Court order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing state congresses conducted by committees appointed by the Senator David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
A three-member panel, in a lead judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang, with Justice Donatus Okorowo concurring, dismissed the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/608/2026 and upheld the April 29 judgment of Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
The appellate court ruled that the authority to conduct state congresses rests with elected state executive committees, not the national caretaker leadership. It further held that the congresses and national convention organised by the Mark-led caretaker committee were nullities, having been conducted in defiance of a subsisting court order issued on April 14.
The presiding Justice, Abba Mohammed, however, gave a dissenting judgment, holding that the dispute bordered on the internal affairs of a political party and was therefore non-justiciable, adding that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit. The majority, in contrast, held that the matter involved constitutional questions warranting judicial intervention.
Reacting to the ruling, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party insisted that the appellate court’s verdict has no bearing whatsoever on the validity of the direct primaries through which its candidates emerged for the 2027 general elections.
“The Party has already commenced the process of appealing the judgment, which we respectfully disagree with and consider to be legally unsustainable,” the statement read in part.
The ADC also drew attention to the dissenting judgment delivered by the presiding Justice, which it argued more accurately reflects the settled position of the law and aligns with the party’s stance on the matter.
Addressing concerns among party faithful and the broader public, the ADC moved swiftly to allay fears that the court ruling could disrupt its electoral preparations.
“We wish to assure members of the Party and the general public that this judgment has no effect whatsoever on the direct primaries through which the Party’s candidates have emerged at all levels,” the statement emphasised.
The party urged its members and millions of supporters across the country to remain calm, confident, and focused, maintaining that its internal processes remain intact.
Reaffirming its political mission, the ADC stated that it remains fully committed to the task of providing Nigerians with a credible alternative to the ruling parties.
The party vowed to continue pursuing that mission “in accordance with the Constitution and the rule of law,” signalling that the legal battle over its congresses would not distract from its broader electoral objectives.
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