Court Rejects Umar Faruk's Challenge to ADC Leadership

The Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto dismissed a suit filed by Umar Faruk, the former Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Sokoto State, challenging the party's leadership structure. Justice Ahmad Gama ruled on Friday that the suit lacked merit and evidence, resolving the four reliefs sought by the plaintiffs in favor of the respondents.

The suit, instituted in July, alleged that new entrants had hijacked the party's structure. Faruk sought to be restored as the substantive chairman.

Justice Gama noted that the court lacked jurisdiction to interfere in a political party's internal affairs and criticized the plaintiffs for not exhausting the party's internal dispute resolution mechanisms. He also stated that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate a violation of their fundamental human rights.

Respondents' counsel, Suleiman Usman, SAN, praised the ruling as sound and commendable, highlighting its implications for Nigeria's democratic development and the importance of substantial evidence in legal claims.