The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reaffirmed David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, setting aside an earlier ruling by the Court of Appeal in the party’s leadership dispute.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, a five-member panel of justices led by Mohammed Lawal Garba held that the appellate court erred in granting an order for status quo ante bellum.
The apex court ruled that the order was unnecessary and procedurally flawed, noting that the appeal on jurisdiction stemmed from an ex parte order which merely invited parties to show cause, without first obtaining the required leave of the appellate court.
The decision effectively restores the David Mark-led executive, reversing its earlier delisting by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The ruling is expected to bring clarity to the lingering leadership crisis within the ADC, which had resulted in conflicting claims to the party’s national leadership.
Details of the full judgment are expected to emerge in due course.
