A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, (ADC), Ladan Salihu, has criticised a recent court judgment affecting the party’s leadership structure, describing it as ill-timed and unnecessary given the pending Supreme Court decision on the matter.
Recall that a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising or participating in any congress organised by a disputed caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress.
The court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, also barred former Senate President, David Mark, and other prominent figures in the party from interfering with the functions and tenure of elected state executives.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Salihu suggested the ruling could disrupt ongoing legal processes and insisted that the judiciary should have allowed the apex court to conclude its consideration first.
“I’m going to be measured in my comments to say that the judgment was totally unnecessary. It is ill-timed. It is coming on the eve of a major Supreme Court judgment.”
“It is as if it is being done to ambush or railroad the process that is going to play out at the Supreme Court tomorrow,” he asserted.
He further explained that the structure of political parties is clearly defined, with national organs such as the National Executive Committee, National Working Committee and Board of Trustees having authority over state structures.
“The executives of the state arms of our party, they barely have less than two weeks to go. And so, why would you want to come up with a judgment when these guys have less than two weeks to go? Now, in the stratification of leadership in the political spectrum, in the political parties, you have the National Executive Committee, the National Working Committee, the Board of Trustees, and so on. They do not defer to the state structures; the state structures defer to them,” he explained.
Salihu expressed confidence in the judiciary ahead of the Supreme Court ruling, saying the decision would be pivotal for the future of Nigeria’s democracy. According to him, the ADC has evolved beyond a political party into a movement reflecting the aspirations of opposition-minded Nigerians.
“It is the first time in our history that I want to say that the judiciary is on trial. Not so much the ADC, not so much an interpersonal thing that is playing out. The ADC has become more than a political party; it’s a movement that represents the yearnings and aspirations of every opposition-minded Nigerian. And what we expect from the court tomorrow—we are confident, we are certain that by the grace of God, we’re going to get a judgment tomorrow that will be the sparking plug that will ignite the flame of democracy across the nation,” he said.
Adding, he also emphasised that the situation should not be viewed as a contest between political parties or individuals, but rather as a broader struggle involving the Nigerian people and the direction of democracy.
“And let me warn that it is not a fight, it is not a struggle, it is not a contest between ADC and APC, or ADC and Tinubu. No, it is a struggle between Nigerians and the future of democracy. And let me land quickly: look, we are a wedge. ADC is a wedge between the government and APC and angry Nigerians. And like I said, it is a sparking plug that will sound a knell that will take Nigeria’s democracy to heaven or to hell,” he reiterated.
Speaking on the ongoing leadership dispute within the ADC, Salihu insisted that the party has remained law-abiding and focused despite internal and external attempts to destabilise its structure.
“The way forward is to appreciate the fact that everybody that is putting a cog on the wheel of the progress of the ADC is on the payroll of the government. And so, while they continue their own way by way of subterfuge to undermine us, what we try to do, and we are still doing, is to remain focused, to remain resilient, and to remain determined to follow the rule of law. There’s nothing that we have done so far that infringes on the rules of law, either of the Constitution, or of the Electoral Act, or of the ADC Constitution,” he stressed.
Dismissing concerns about possible political fallout from the case, he reiterated that the ADC remains confident in the judiciary’s independence and capacity to deliver justice.
“We’re not really thinking about the Supreme Court judgment not going in our favor, because we believe that the supremacy of the law—we believe that the judiciary, the judges, will step forward and be counted as an independent arm of government, not a willing tool in the hands of government, and will give an impartial judgment. We are convinced, and we are upbeat, and we are confident because of this disposition,” he maintained.
He insisted that the party is not preparing for a negative outcome, as it believes the courts will act in line with constitutional principles and fairness. According to him, the situation is less about the party’s survival and more about the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“Now, like I said at the beginning of the program, it is the judiciary more on trial tomorrow than ADC. And whether the judiciary will stand out to be counted to save democracy, to save Nigeria from what everybody sees as a journey towards a one-party state, a journey towards a controlled dictatorship and a journey that has consistently wreaked havoc and is still wreaking havoc in all political parties.”
Describing the phrase “No ADC on the ballot, no election”, he said it reflects the consequences of undermining democratic participation.
“‘No ADC on the ballot’ is a euphemism for saying that if you muffle the drums of democracy, you have to live with the consequences of your action,” he warned.
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