Victory for Opposition party as the Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress under former Senate President, David Mark.
The development was disclosed on Thursday by Paul Ibe, spokesperson to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, via a Facebook post.
The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel headed by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, held that the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal acted beyond its jurisdiction by unilaterally issuing an order after it had already dismissed a case that was brought before it by one of the factions.
“The directive of the Court of Appeal to maintain status quo ante bellum is a preservatory order, wrongly made in this case,” the Supreme Court said in the judgment.
It held that the appeal that was filed before it by David Mark succeeded in part, even as it dismissed the aspect that challenged an ex parte order the Federal High Court made for service of processes in the suit filed by aggrieved members of the party.
The apex court directed the factions to return to the trial court for continuation of the hearing of the case.
Nigerian Newssphere reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had earlier derecognized the executives of the ADC led by David Mark, citing a court judgment by the Court of Appeal.
