The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising any state congresses conducted by committees appointed by the caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the power to conduct state congresses lies with the party’s state executive committees and not the national leadership.
The court held that the four-year tenure of the ADC’s State Working Committees and State Executive Committees remains valid and subsisting pending the conduct of properly constituted congresses and the convocation of a national convention.
Justice Abdulmalik further ruled that neither the Nigerian Constitution nor the ADC constitution empowers the caretaker or interim National Working Committee led by David Mark to appoint committees to conduct state congresses.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/581/2026, was filed by Don Norman Obinna, Johnny Tovie Derek, Obah Ehigiator, Olona Yinka, Charles Omideji, Samuel Gyang and who sued on behalf of all state chairmen and state executive committees of the party.
The judgment is expected to have significant implications for the internal leadership structure and congress processes of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.