Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the removal of Senator David Mark and former Governor Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), respectively.
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The judge on Friday threw away the suit on the ground that it bordered on the internal affairs of a political party, over which no court has jurisdiction.
Justice Abdulmalik in the judgment said that membership and leadership of a political party is voluntary, on the ground that parties are voluntary associations that have no compulsion.
The judge held that members aggrieved over matters of their parties should always employ internal mechanism to resolve such grievances or at best, opt out and join other parties.
She maintained that cases bordering on party membership and leadership are not justiciable and as such, courts cannot exercise jurisdiction.
The Federal High Court dismissed the suit filed by former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, and others challenging the leadership and internal affairs of the party.
Reacting to the ruling on Friday, the spokesman of the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the decision as a victory for democracy and party autonomy.
In a statement released after the judgment, Abdullahi said the court held that matters relating to party leadership and membership are internal issues that are non-justiciable, effectively dismissing the claims brought against the party.
“Congratulations to all opposition members and Nigerians who continue to believe in democracy and the integrity of our political institutions,” Abdullahi said.
“Today, the Federal High Court dismissed the suit filed by Dumebi Kachikwu and others against the ADC, affirming that issues relating to party leadership and membership are internal and non-justiciable.”
He urged Nigerians who had been hesitant about joining the party to seize the moment and participate in building a stronger opposition platform.
“This is a moment to move forward together. If you have been on the fence, now is the time to join the ADC and participate in building a party that can get Nigeria back on track,” he added.
The ruling comes barely a day after supporters and registered members of the ADC staged a protest at the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding that Justice Joyce Abdulmalik recuse herself from handling cases involving the party.
Operating under the banner of ADC Registered Members and Stakeholders, the protesters accused the judge of bias and called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to reassign the matter to another judge.
The demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions such as “Judiciary Should Not Destroy Our Democracy,” “Recuse Yourself,” and “We Have No Confidence in You.”
Some of the protesters alleged that the judge’s previous conduct in court had raised doubts about impartiality, claims that heightened tensions ahead of the scheduled hearing.
However, with the dismissal of Kachikwu’s suit, the ADC leadership says the ruling has effectively settled the dispute and reinforced the principle that political parties should resolve their internal affairs without unnecessary judicial interference.
The development is expected to reshape the internal dynamics within the opposition party as it prepares for future political contests against the ruling All Progressives Congress.
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