The Court of Appeal has upheld an earlier ruling stopping INEC from recognising congresses held by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress.
In a 2–1 decision, the appellate court threw out the appeal filed by the caretaker faction and affirmed the April 29 judgment of the Federal High Court. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik had earlier barred the caretaker executives from interfering with the duties and tenure of the party’s elected state executives.
Justice Okon Abang delivered the lead judgment, with Justice Donatus Okorowo concurring. They ruled that conducting state congresses is the responsibility of elected state executive committees, not the national leadership.
The majority held that the caretaker team could not override the structure already in place at the state level.
Justice Abba Mohammed, who presided over the panel, dissented. He argued the dispute was an internal party matter and should not have been brought before the lower court in the first place.
With the ruling, INEC remains barred from recognising any state congresses conducted by the Mark-led faction.
