*As Supreme Court dismisses PDP appeals, deprecates courts prying into internal affairs of parties
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Thursday, reinstated the names of former Senate President David Mark and ex-Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola on its official portal as recognised leaders of the African Democratic Congress.
This development signals a major shift in the protracted leadership crisis rocking the ADC.
This was as the apex court also quashed all the appeals filed in respect of the leadership disputes in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stressing that no court has the right to entertain any suit bothering on internal party disputes.
Also listed on the INEC portal are Dr. Mani Ibrahim Ahmed as National Treasurer, Akibu Dalhatu as National Financial Secretary, and Prof. Oserheimhen Osunbor as National Legal Adviser.
The update, which appeared on INEC’s website on Thursday, effectively restores Mark as National Chairman and Aregbesola as National Secretary, weeks after the commission withheld recognition of any faction amid escalating legal disputes.
The development follows the judgment of the Supreme Court, which voided an earlier order that froze the party’s leadership structure and created a vacuum within the ADC.
However, a Federal High court had on Wednesday, voided Sen. Mark’s leadership of the party, placing a fresh hurdle in the party.
However, while declaring its judgement on the party’s leadership crises, the apex court restated that no court has the right to venture into any internal crises in any political party.
The Supreme Court had while pronouncing its judgement set aside the status quo ante bellum order pronounced by the Appeal Court, describing it as unwarranted after the substantive matter had been struck out, and declared that such interim directives could not subsist in a vacuum.
With the Supreme Court declining to make a conclusive pronouncement on the substantive leadership dispute and instead returning the matter to the Federal High Court, the ADC crisis remains unresolved, despite the latest administrative recognition.
Similarly, the apex court voided all the judgements regarding the leadership crises in the PDP, emphasising that it was wrong for the hearing and appellate courts to have waded into an internal squabble among the leaders of political parties.
In a split three to two judgment, the apex court dismissed the main appeal filed by the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed and the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde faction, as well as the cross appeal of the Nyesom Wike-led factions. The court also dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the factions.
Justice Stephen Adah, who delivered the apex court’s lead judgment, lambasted the PDP for abuse of court processes by filing a fresh action in another court rather than appeal against the order of the lower court to suspend its planned convention and provide nomination forms for a national chairmanship aspirant, Alhaji Sule Lamido.
But in the dissenting judgements, Justice Sadiq Umar held that the courts lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the dispute being an internal affair of a political party and dismissed the main and cross appeal.
Reacting to the judgment, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar welcomed what he described as Supreme Court’s affirmation of David Mark’s leadership of the ADC, but cautioned against complacency, saying the broader political struggle remains unresolved.
But more affirmative political analysts say any faction claiming victory is standing on a quick sand as the Supreme Court never pronounced any faction as authentic holder of any of the party’s national leadership.
