The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld 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).
In a two-to-one majority judgment, the court ruled that only elected state executive committees have the constitutional authority to conduct state congresses, affirming the lower court’s decision.
The appellate court also held that the Mark-led leadership could not interfere with the tenure and functions of the party’s elected state executives. One justice dissented, describing the matter as an internal party affair.
The ruling could affect the validity of the 2027 presidential candidacies of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other candidates who emerged through the Mark-led faction’s national congress.
The court dismissed the ADC’s appeal, declared the congresses and national convention conducted by the Mark-led leadership a nullity, and awarded ₦10 million in costs against the party.
Reacting to the judgment, the ADC said it would challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.
