Court throws out suit Challenging David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Others As ADC National Officers

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has dismissed a suit seeking the removal of former Senate President, Senator David Mark and former Governor Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, respectively.

The court presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, threw away the suit noting that it bordered on the internal affairs of a political party, over which no court has jurisdiction.

Delivering his judgement on the matter, Justice Abdulmalik pointed out that membership and leadership of political parties were voluntary, on the ground that parties are voluntary associations that have no compulsion.

According to her, members aggrieved over matters of their parties should always employ internal mechanism to resolve such grievances or at best, opt out and join other parties, even as cases bordering on party membership and leadership were not justiciable, hence, courts cannot exercise jurisdiction.