Supreme Court set aside directive of Court of Appeal wey order Inec to maintain status quo in ADC leadership wahala

Di Supreme Court of Nigeria don set aside di Court of Appeal directive wey say make di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) maintain status quo for ADC leadership wahala.

Di ADC appeal na from di David Mark faction, wey dey challenge di judgement of di Court of Appeal wey give order make parties maintain status quo for one internal leadership gbas-gbos for di party.

Na based on dis Court of Appeal judgement di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec), bin withdraw dia recognition for oga David Mark as di ADC National Chairman and remove im name - plus di name of di National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola - from dia portal.

However, oga Mark insist say leadership wahala for political parties na internal affairs wey, according to Nigeria laws, no be mata for court to determine.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former govnors Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rauf Aregbesola, Liyel Imoke and Aminu Tambuwal - wey also be former Speaker of di House of Representatives - na some of di big names for di ADC.

Sabi pipo tok say di Supreme Court judgements go get ogbonge impact for di 2027 general elections wey go happun for January.

Ahead of di ruling, di David Mark-led ADC faction bin don write letter to di Chief Justice of Nigeria, as dem dey worry say di party fit dey excluded from di 2027 electoral process if di judgement continue to dey delay.

Meanwhile, di Federal High Court for Abuja, on Wednesday, also give order Inec say make dem no recognise or participate for any state congress wey di ADC caretaker leadership organise.

Di court also order di party national executive make dem no interfere wit di tenure of elected state executives bicos di conduct of state congresses suppose be di responsibility of state party exco.

Na Justice Joyce Abdulmalik bin deliver dis judgement afta some ADC state executives bin carry di mata go court to challenge di authority of di caretaker leadership.

Wetin di Supreme Court judgement mean for ADC?

"Wetin e mean be say di David Mark-led leadership don dey restored pending di trial for di High Court," one of ADC lawyers Kenneth Okonkwo tell BBC News Pidgin.

"I feel veri excited. I dey tank God, bicos di status quo ante bellum na di main problem wey Inec bin wrongly interpret to mean adjusting di interest of a party wen e be say di case still dey pending for di trial court. And di Supreme Court don say e dey unwarranted and dem don set am aside, so we go return back to di trial court," Okonkwo tok.

For dia unanimous judgement wey Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba read, di five-man panel of di Supreme Court justices rule say di Federal High Court bin dey right to order say make all di parties wey dey directly affected for di initial suit to be put on notice to come show cause why di application no suppose dey granted.

Dem hold say di mata still dey go on for di High Court wen di ADc carry am come bifor di Court of Appeal.

Therefore, di Supreme Court justices rule say di Court of Appeal dey right to hold say di appellant suppose obtain di leave of di lower court bifor proceeding to appeal di mata.

"Since di trial court no grant or refuse di exparte motion wey dem bring bifor am on September 4, 2025, di issue of di jurisdiction of di trial judge no fit dey pulled out of thin air. Dis decision of di Court of Appeal dey upheld," di court tok.

However, on di oda pronouncement of di Court of Appeal, wey order say status quo ante bellum gatz dey maintained, Justice Garba say one appellate court no fit give perpetual order for mata wey still dey go on bifor trial court, as dat power belong to di trial court.

Justice Garba say di directive of di Court of Appeal say status quo ante bellum gatz dey maintained, afta dem strike out di appeal suo moto dey "unnecessary, unwarranted and improper".

"Di said directive suppose dey set aside and e dey hereby set aside," Justice Garba tok.

Remember say na based on dis order to maintain di status quo Inec say dem no go recognise di David Mark-led ADC exco.

Jubrin Okutekpa (SAN), wey be di lead counsel for di David Mark-led ADC exco also re-echo wetin Kenneth Okonkwo bin tok.

"Di basis upon which Inec bin act to remove di name of Senator (David) Mark and im exco don dey removed, as di Supreme Court agree say di order of status quo ante bellum made by di Court of Appeal dey unwarranted and e no get basis. Wetin e mean for di ADC be say di David-Mark leadership of di party don dey restored," Okutekpa tell tori pipo.

Wen di ADC wahala start?

Dis mata bin start wen Nafiu Bala Gombe go to di Federal High Court to ask for order for Inec to stop to dey recognise David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and secretary of di ADC.

Dem file di mata ex parte but di court order say make di respondents dey placed on notice.

On di next adjourned date, di ADC bin dey represented in court while Inec no show face, court kon adjourn di mata.

However, di ADC den file one appeal bifor di Court of Appeal, wey challenge di jurisdiction of di lower court to entertain di mata.

During di hearing for di appeal court, di judges bin ask weda di ADC obtain di leave of di lower court to file appeal.

Di Court of Appeal den strike out di appeal say e dey incompetent, sake of say di leave of court no dey obtained bifor di appeal, and say di issue of jurisdiction bin dey raised incorrectly.

Di Appeal Court bin go ahead to order say status quo ante bellum gatz dey maintained.

Meanwhile, di Supreme Court for Nigeria on Thursday uphold di Court of Appeal decision wey nullify di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention for Ibadan.

Three out of di five-man panel of judges bin give di ruling to nullify di convention, while two odas say di appeal get merit.

Di mata bin start as a result of di denial of Sule Lamido to purchase ticket to run for di post of di PDP national chairman.

E bin go court and di court order say make dem allow am to purchase form and take part in di election or make di convention no hold.