Supreme Court Reserves Judgment on ADC Leadership Dispute

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved judgment on an appeal concerning the leadership dispute within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), involving David Mark and Bala. The appeal was filed against a ruling by the Abuja Federal High Court, which had previously determined it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case related to the internal affairs of the party.

A five-member panel, led by Justice Garba, heard arguments from lawyers representing both parties. Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, representing David Mark, urged the court to allow the appeal, while Robert Emukpero, SAN, representing the first respondent, Nafiu Gomb, requested the court to reject the appeal.

The appellate court had earlier dismissed Mark's appeal, stating it was premature and ordered the matter to return to the trial court for expedited hearing while maintaining the status quo. Mark's dissatisfaction with the appellate court's ruling led him to approach the Supreme Court for a final resolution.