***Says No Group Has Legal Advantage
Former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has described the latest ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a judicial reset that confers legitimacy on no faction in the party’s ongoing leadership dispute.
Reacting in Abuja, Kachikwu said the apex court’s decision to send the matter back to the trial court effectively neutralised all competing claims to the party’s leadership, insisting that no side emerged with judicial recognition.
According to him, the Supreme Court deliberately avoided pronouncing any group as the authentic leadership, instead directing that all parties return to the lower court for full determination of the substantive issues.
“The court has not endorsed any faction. It has simply returned everyone to where the facts must be tested,” he said.
“No INEC Recognition, No Victory for Any Side”
Kachikwu also dismissed interpretations suggesting that the ruling favoured any particular bloc, including factions linked to former Senate President David Mark.
He stressed that there was no order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise any leadership structure, describing such claims as politically motivated distortions of the judgment.
“The Supreme Court did not validate anyone. It did not direct INEC to recognise any group. That alone settles the propaganda being circulated,” he stated.
The former ADC flagbearer explained that the ruling effectively restores the matter to the trial court, where questions of constitutional compliance, internal processes, and party legitimacy will be fully examined.
He maintained that until those issues are resolved, every claim to leadership remains contested and unverified.
Kachikwu further referenced an earlier ruling by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, which upheld the validity of existing state executive structures within the party and restrained unauthorised groups from convening parallel congresses or conventions.
According to him, that judgment reinforces the principle that only constitutionally recognised organs of the party can exercise leadership authority.
“Constitution, Not Force, Determines Leadership”
Kachikwu warned that the current crisis reflects a deeper struggle over constitutional order within the party, insisting that no faction can assume control outside established rules.
“Leadership in a political party is not seized; it is established by constitution. Anything outside that framework is void,” he said.
He cautioned party members against aligning with what he termed “parallel structures without constitutional foundation,” adding that such formations cannot withstand legal scrutiny.
“The ADC is not a personal project or a captured institution. It remains a constitutional platform,” he added.
Crisis Far From Over
The Supreme Court ruling, while ending one phase of litigation, has effectively extended the ADC leadership dispute, returning it to the trial court for substantive determination.
Political observers say the development may deepen uncertainty within the party at a critical period ahead of the 2027 general elections, as rival blocs continue to contest control and legitimacy.
For now, Kachikwu’s interpretation frames the judgment not as a victory for any side, but as a judicial pause in a battle that remains firmly unresolved.