Apex Court Fails To Deliver Ruling On ADC Leadership Suit Despite 18 Days To Submission Of Membership Register
The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the appeal by the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to intervene in the internal affairs of the ADC.
A five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Garba Mohammed, disclosed this shortly after lawyers representing parties adopted their briefs of argument for and against the appeal.
Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, who represented David Mark, in urging the court to allow the appeal, submitted that the apex court had on March 21, 2025 judgment put an end to the issue before the court, when it held that, “no court has jurisdiction to entertain cases bordering on internal affairs of political parties”.
Okutepa therefore urged the apex court to allow the appeal and hold that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain a suit bordering on the ADC’s internal matters.
Robert Emukpero, SAN, who represented the 1st respondent, Nafiu Gombe however, urged the apex court to reject the appeal and affirm the judgment of the lower court, which held that the case of the appellant was premature and dismissed it.
The development is coming with just 18 days to the May 10, 2026 deadline when the party must submit a valid membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Under the Electoral Act 2026, failure to do so means one thing no primaries, no candidates, no participation.
The latest development at the Supreme Court has tightened the pressure. The court reserved judgment, leaving the leadership question unresolved at a critical moment.
With no clear and legally recognised leadership by INEC, any attempt to submit a membership register carries serious legal risk and could be invalidated.
