The African Democratic Congress (ADC), has assured its members and supporters that the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja regarding the party’s state congresses does not affect its candidates or the outcome of its direct primary elections.
The psrty gave the assurance on Monday, shortly after the Court of Appeal, in a split judgment, upheld the decision of the Federal High Court restraining the party’s interim leadership from dissolving the State Working Committees (SWCs) before the expiration of their four-year tenure.
NAIJAONPOINT earlier reported that the appellate court, in a majority decision delivered by Justices Okon Abang and Donatus Okorowo, affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court, which held that the ADC leadership under former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola breached the party’s constitution by attempting to dissolve the State Working Committees. The court also imposed a cost of N10 million against the appellants in favour of the state chairmen.
Reacting to the judgment in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC insisted that the ruling does not invalidate the party’s direct primaries or affect candidates who have already emerged through the process.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) notes the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday in a matter relating to party congresses for the election of ward, local government and state executive committees of the Party.
“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 read.
The opposition party disclosed that it has already commenced the process of challenging the appellate court’s verdict at the Supreme Court, insisting that it believes the judgment is legally flawed.
“The Party has already commenced the process of appealing the judgment, which we respectfully disagree with and consider to be legally unsustainable.
“We also note the dissenting judgment of the presiding Justice, which, in our view, more accurately reflects the settled position of the law and the Party’s position,” the statement added.
The party further called on its members across the country to remain calm and focused despite the legal setback, expressing confidence that the matter would be resolved through the judicial process.
“We urge all Party members and the millions of our supporters to remain calm, confident and focused.
“The African Democratic Congress remains committed to the task of providing Nigerians with a credible alternative and will continue to pursue that mission in accordance with the Constitution and the rule of law,” Abdullahi stated.
The latest development marks another chapter in the leadership tussle within the ADC, as the party’s interim leadership and the state chairmen continue to battle over the control of the party’s structures ahead of future political activities. While the Court of Appeal has upheld the lower court’s decision, the ADC has made it clear that it intends to exhaust all legal avenues, maintaining that the ruling does not affect the validity of its primary elections or the status of its candidates.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
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