Rhe Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday postponed its judgment in the appeal filed by former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola against a Federal High Court ruling that stopped the dissolution of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, State Working Committees across the country.
The appellate court had fixed July 8 for judgment but unexpectedly moved the decision to July 13. Lawyers, journalists and political figures had already gathered in court and waited for more than two hours before a court registrar announced that the judgment would no longer be delivered as scheduled. No reason was given for the postponement.
The appeal was filed after the Federal High Court in Abuja restrained the ADC leadership led by Mark and Aregbesola from dissolving the party’s State Working Committees before the expiration of their tenure.
The legal action at the Federal High Court was brought by Don Norman Obinna, Johnny Tovie Derek, Obah C. Ehigiator, Yinka Olona, Charles Idowu Omideji, Samuel Pam Gyang and Obianyo Patrick.
They filed the suit on behalf of themselves and other ADC State Chairmen and State Executive Committees across the country.
The defendants in the case include the ADC, David Mark, Patricia Akwashiki, Bolaji Abdullahi, Rauf Aregbesola, Oserheimen Osunbor, who was sued on behalf of the party’s Caretaker or Interim National Working Committee, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The plaintiffs asked the Federal High Court to interpret provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the ADC constitution regarding the tenure of the party’s state leadership. They argued that the four-year tenure of the State Working Committees remained valid until properly conducted state congresses and a national convention were held.
They also challenged the authority of the Caretaker or Interim National Working Committee to appoint congress committee members for state congresses. According to them, the party’s constitution does not recognise such a body, making its decisions invalid.
The suit further questioned the planned state congresses scheduled for April 2026, arguing that any congress organised by the caretaker leadership would violate the party’s constitution.
In her judgment, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled in favour of the plaintiffs and nullified the planned dissolution of the State Working Committees by the party leadership.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, David Mark and the other appellants approached the Court of Appeal, asking it to overturn the decision of the lower court. They argued that the judgment was reached in error and resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
The Court of Appeal is now expected to deliver its judgment on July 13.