Supreme Court Restores ADC Leadership Under Mark

On Thursday, the Supreme Court set aside a controversial status quo order that had been made to preserve the leadership structure of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) amid an ongoing leadership crisis. Justice Moham Garba, delivering the judgment, stated that while the court has the inherent power to preserve orders to protect the subject matter of litigation, such orders cannot persist once proceedings reach a full conclusion.

The apex court allowed an appeal that nullified the previous order sustaining the status quo, which was intended to prevent the party from taking actions that could create a fait accompli. The court ruled that the trial court's directive to maintain the status quo was essentially a preservation order aimed at preventing any steps that could affect the ongoing proceedings.

However, the Supreme Court clarified that once proceedings are fully concluded, there is no need for such preservation. The court also addressed the appeal's jurisdiction, emphasizing that the grounds for appeal must be validly filed and that the trial judge neither granted nor refused the application for an injunction.