Nigeria’s apex court on Wednesday postponed its decision in a closely watched appeal filed by former Senate President David Mark over the deepening leadership dispute tearing through the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
A five-member panel headed by Justice Mohammed Garba adjourned the case for judgment after all sides concluded their final written addresses.
Mark, who heads one of the contending factions, is contesting the Court of Appeal’s March 12 ruling that directed the rival groups to preserve the existing state of affairs while the case proceeds.
He maintained that the lower court ventured beyond its constitutional limits and that the entire quarrel constitutes an internal party affair into which the judiciary has no authority to intrude.
The original suit was brought by disaffected party members under the leadership of Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenges the legitimacy of the Mark-led executive.
Other respondents joined in the appeal include the ADC itself, its National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission and former national chairman Ralph Nwosu.
Mark is additionally asking the Supreme Court to bar INEC from recognising any leadership other than his own pending the final outcome of the appeal.
The respondents countered by urging the court to dismiss the appeal outright, insisting that the Court of Appeal had acted within its proper jurisdiction.
The prolonged feud has already forced regulatory intervention – INEC has deleted the names of the competing leaders from its official portal and declined to accord recognition to either faction until the legal contest is conclusively resolved.
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