Court of Appeal shifts ADC leadership appeal verdict to July 13

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has postponed judgment in an appeal filed by David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola against a Federal High Court judgment restraining them from dissolving the State Working Committees (SWCs) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The appellate court had been scheduled to deliver judgment on Wednesday but deferred the ruling to July 13 without providing reasons for the postponement.

The development came after lawyers, political actors and journalists had waited for more than two hours for the court to commence proceedings.

A registrar of the court later announced that the judgment would now be delivered on Monday, July 13, in the afternoon.

The appeal was filed by the ADC, Mark and Aregbesola to challenge the decision of Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which halted moves to terminate the four-year tenure of the party’s state officers.

The dispute followed a suit instituted by several ADC state chairmen, including Don Norman Obinna, Johnny Tovie Derek, Obah C. Ehigiator, Hon. Olona Yinka, Dr Charles Idowu Omideji, Samuel Pam Gyang and Obianyo Patrick, on behalf of themselves and other state chairmen and state executive committees of the party.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/58/2026, listed the ADC, Senator David Mark, Senator Patricia Akwashiki, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Rauf Aregbesola, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor (on behalf of the Caretaker/Interim National Working Committee), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.

The plaintiffs had approached the Federal High Court seeking an interpretation of constitutional provisions governing the tenure and powers of political party organs, particularly in relation to the leadership structure of the ADC and plans for state congresses.

At the centre of the dispute was whether the tenure of the ADC’s State Working Committees and State Executive Committees remained valid pending the conduct of duly constituted state congresses and a national convention.

The plaintiffs relied on Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution, provisions of the ADC constitution, and a final mediation report dated December 23, 2023, arguing that the caretaker/interim national working committee lacked constitutional authority to oversee the dissolution of existing party structures.

They also challenged the legality of appointments made by the caretaker body to conduct state congresses, describing such actions as unconstitutional and invalid.

Justice Abdulmalik, in her judgment, nullified the plan by the David Mark-led leadership to dissolve the state working committees.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Mark and other appellants approached the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the Federal High Court judgment on grounds of alleged miscarriage of justice.