Court Halts ADC National Convention, Orders Status Quo

Kingsley Ohens reporting

A High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to maintain the status quo amid its ongoing leadership crisis, effectively halting moves toward conducting a national convention.

According to a report by The Guardian Nigeria, the court directed all parties involved in the dispute to refrain from taking any action pending the determination of a substantive suit before it.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/58/2026, was instituted by several party members acting on behalf of state chairmen and state executive committees. The plaintiffs are seeking judicial clarification on constitutional provisions governing the tenure and powers of party organs, particularly in relation to the leadership structure and the conduct of congresses and a national convention.

Listed as defendants in the matter are the ADC, its National Chairman David Mark, alongside other key figures including Rauf Aregbesola, members of the party’s interim leadership, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court’s directive to maintain the status quo is aimed at preserving the existing structure within the party until the legal issues surrounding its leadership are conclusively resolved. The dispute centres on whether the tenure of current state executives remains valid and whether any interim national leadership has the authority to organise congresses or a national convention.

The development underscores the deepening internal crisis within the ADC, as legal battles continue to threaten its organisational stability and preparedness for upcoming political activities.