ADC Crisis: Court Shifts Verdict On Mark, Aregbesola Leadership Suit

According to reports, the appellate court had earlier scheduled Wednesday for the judgment but postponed the delivery of the verdict at the last minute, leaving lawyers, politicians and other observers waiting in court for several hours.

A registrar of the Court of Appeal reportedly announced that the judgment had been deferred and would now be delivered on Monday, July 13, in the afternoon. No official reason was provided for the postponement.

The delay means Mark, Aregbesola and the ADC leadership will have to wait longer for the outcome of their challenge against the earlier decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The appeals were filed separately by the ADC, David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola following the judgment of Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who restrained the party’s national leadership from dissolving the existing State Working Committees before the expiration of their tenure.

The legal battle began after several ADC state chairmen approached the Federal High Court to challenge moves by the national leadership to remove them and replace the state structures.

The plaintiffs, including Don Norman Obinna, Johnny Tovie Derek, Obah C. Ehigiator, Olona Yinka, Dr Charles Idowu Omideji, Samuel Pam Gyang and Obianyo Patrick, argued that the four-year tenure of the state executives remained valid until properly conducted congresses and a national convention were held.

In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik nullified the proposed dissolution of the State Working Committees by the David Mark-led national leadership, holding that the tenure of the state officers could not be prematurely terminated.

Following the judgment, the ADC, Mark and Aregbesola approached the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the decision and affirm the authority of the party’s national leadership over its internal structures.

The appellate court is now expected to determine whether the ADC national leadership has the constitutional authority to dissolve the existing state structures or whether the current state executives should remain in office until the completion of their tenure and the conduct of valid congresses.