Respect NBA’s position on party dispute, ADC tells INEC

The David Mark-led camp of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has welcomed the position of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) that courts lack jurisdiction over internal party matters, describing it as a validation of its stance in the ongoing leadership dispute.

Bolaji Abdullahi, its National Publicity Secretary, in a statement on Saturday, said the NBA’s warning against abuse of court processes and forum-shopping confirms that the case against its leadership is legally defective.

It urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to avoid any action that could compromise its neutrality or legitimise what it called unlawful judicial interference.

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The NBA had on Friday cautioned lawyers and judicial officers against seeking or granting interim or interlocutory orders in matters relating to the internal affairs of political parties, stressing that such actions violate the Electoral Act.

The association warned against forum- shopping and described the growing trend of conflicting court orders in political disputes as an abuse of court process, urging disciplinary measures against erring practitioners and judges.

Abdullahi said the NBA’s position was “clear and unambiguous,” insisting that courts have no role in determining internal party leadership disputes.

“This is precisely what the ADC has consistently maintained. What we are witnessing is not a legitimate legal dispute but a coordinated attempt to weaponise the judicial process for political ends,” he said.

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He added that any orders procured in violation of the law are “null, void and of no effect,” warning that some actors were deliberately dragging the courts into matters expressly barred by statute to create confusion within the party.

The ADC commended the NBA for “its courage and professionalism” in calling out the trend, noting that its call for sanctions underscores the gravity of the situation. “INEC must remain a neutral arbiter, not a participant in political engineering,” Abdullahi said.

He warned that Nigeria’s democracy would be endangered if institutions are pressured and judicial processes manipulated to achieve predetermined outcomes, stressing that the issue goes beyond the ADC and speaks to the integrity of the democratic system.