The Supreme Court on Thursday restored the leadership of the African Democratic Congress under David Mark, nullifying an earlier order of the Court of Appeal which had directed parties to maintain status quo in the dispute.
In a unanimous decision delivered by Justice Mohammed Garba, the apex court described the status quo ante-bellum order issued by the appellate court as “unnecessary, improper and unwarranted.” The court held that such an interim directive ought not to have been granted in the circumstances surrounding the leadership crisis in the party.
The apex court subsequently ordered that the substantive suit bordering on the ADC leadership tussle be returned to the Federal High Court for hearing and determination on its merits.
Justice Garba stated that the proper course was for the issues in contention to be fully ventilated before the trial court, rather than being curtailed by interim orders.
The dispute within the African Democratic Congress had led to conflicting claims over the party’s leadership, prompting legal battles across different courts.
