The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has backed the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over its position that courts should not adjudicate internal party disputes. In a statement released on Saturday in Abuja, ADC's National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the NBA's stance affirms the party's long-held belief that such matters fall outside judicial jurisdiction. The ADC emphasized that party primaries and internal conflicts are governed by the constitution of each political party and the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not the judiciary. Abdullahi noted that allowing courts to intervene in party affairs undermines the autonomy of political organizations and sets a dangerous precedent. He cited ongoing legal battles in some parties as examples of judicial overreach, warning that such actions could distort electoral outcomes. The ADC called for adherence to due process and party constitutions in resolving disagreements, describing the NBA's intervention as timely and necessary.
Bolaji Abdullahi's firm articulation of ADC's position reveals a calculated effort to position the party as a defender of institutional process at a time when many political actors routinely turn to courts to settle internal scores. By aligning with the NBA, a body with legal gravitas, ADC is distancing itself from the spectacle of litigious politics that has come to define major parties like APC and PDP.
This move gains significance against the backdrop of repeated court rulings that have overturned primary results, often weeks before elections. The judiciary's entanglement in party affairs has created uncertainty, benefiting litigants with resources while sidelining grassroots members. The ADC's stance, while principled on paper, also serves a strategic purpose: appealing to voters weary of legal theatrics that distort democratic choice.
For ordinary Nigerians, especially party members without access to high-powered lawyers, this debate is about fairness. If internal disputes are resolved through transparent primaries rather than courtroom victories, it could level the playing field. But without enforcement by INEC and compliance across parties, such declarations risk remaining rhetorical.
This is not new rhetoric—similar positions were made in 2018 and 2022—but consistency on this issue places ADC in a rare category of smaller parties advocating procedural integrity over short-term gain.
