A Federal High Court in Sokoto has dismissed a suit challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the state, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to establish sufficient grounds for the reliefs they sought.
The case was instituted by Umar Faruk, a former state chairman of the party, and other plaintiffs who sought to regain control of the ADC’s state structure amid an internal leadership dispute.
The plaintiffs approached the court in July, asking for an order restoring Faruk as the substantive state chairman. Their case was based on allegations that new entrants into the party had taken over its organisational structure.
However, Justice Ahmad Gama dismissed the suit on Friday, finding that the plaintiffs had not provided sufficient merit or evidence to support their claims. The judge ruled against them on all four reliefs requested in the case.
In explaining the decision, the court held that it lacked jurisdiction to intervene in the internal affairs of a political party. The judge also faulted the plaintiffs for failing to exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before seeking judicial intervention.
The court further ruled that the plaintiffs had not established that their fundamental human rights had been violated. These findings formed part of the grounds on which the case was dismissed.
Internal leadership disputes can arise when party members disagree over appointments, organisational control or the procedures used to determine who occupies leadership positions. Such disputes may be taken through a party’s established mechanisms before a court is approached, although the extent of judicial intervention depends on the nature of the case and the applicable law.
In the Sokoto dispute, the plaintiffs’ attempt to secure judicial orders restoring Faruk to the chairmanship was unsuccessful. The ruling leaves their requested reliefs ungranted and represents a setback for their effort to reclaim the party’s state structure through the case.
Counsel to the respondents, Suleiman Usman, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, welcomed the decision, describing it as sound and commendable. He said the judgment had contributed to Nigeria’s democratic system and constitutional jurisprudence.
The dismissal resolves the particular suit brought by Faruk and the other plaintiffs at the Federal High Court. The report did not indicate whether the plaintiffs intended to appeal the decision or pursue any other legal options.
The case reflects the role of the courts in determining whether disputes brought before them fall within their jurisdiction and whether litigants have established the legal grounds required for the remedies they seek.
Deborah Adeyefa
