Appeal Court Ruling Does Not Affect Party Leadership- ADC
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has clarified that the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria on the party’s leadership dispute does not affect its current national leadership.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the appellate court did not determine the substantive issues surrounding the leadership of the party.
According to him, after a careful review of the judgment, the party concluded that the court merely addressed procedural matters and not the core dispute over the party’s leadership.
He explained that the suit challenging the emergence of David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary remains pending before the Federal High Court of Nigeria and has not yet been heard or decided on its merits.
Abdullahi stated that the Court of Appeal neither granted any relief to the plaintiff nor issued any order altering the existing leadership structure of the party.
Rather, he said, the appellate court directed all parties to maintain the status quo, meaning that the current leadership of the ADC remains in place until the substantive suit is determined by the lower court.
He urged party members and supporters not to be alarmed or misled by what he described as misinterpretations of the judgment.
According to him, the ruling is purely procedural and does not in any way affect the legitimacy or tenure of the party’s present national leadership.
Abdullahi also reaffirmed the party’s unity, stressing that the ADC remains focused despite what he described as efforts by anti-democratic forces seeking to impose a one-party system in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal had earlier dismissed an appeal filed by Senator Mark challenging the September 4, 2025 ruling of Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Justice Nwite had declined an ex parte application filed by former ADC Deputy National Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe, who also instituted a substantive suit questioning the leadership positions of Mark and Aregbesola.
In its decision, a three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam upheld a preliminary objection raised by Gombe and ruled that Mark’s appeal was incompetent.
The court held that the appeal raised issues that were not contained in the ruling delivered by the trial court.
Justice Onyemenam further explained that an appellate court cannot review matters that were not first determined by a lower court.
She also faulted the appellant for relying on the enrolled order prepared by the court registrar rather than the judge’s actual ruling, stressing that the authentic record of a court’s decision is the pronouncement made by the presiding judge.
EDITOR
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, as well as M.Sc Mass Communication with Second Class(Upper Division) at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is the immediate past NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
