Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says economic hardship is driving young Nigerians towards desperate measures.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will consider Thursday’s court judgment nullifying the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark at its meeting next week.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun Haruna, said the commission would deliberate on the judgment before deciding its next course of action.
“We are all here till next week when the commission meets. We will have to meet over it,” Haruna assured.
He also noted that INEC would comply with any further court order arising from an appeal by the Mark-led faction, including an injunction staying the execution of the judgment.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had, on Thursday, nullified the leadership of the Mark-led caretaker committee, ruling that its emergence violated the ADC constitution, relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
The judgment followed a suit filed by former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
Gombe argued that he was constitutionally entitled to take over the party’s leadership following the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
He asked the court to invalidate the actions of the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, from presenting themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
In granting the suit, the court nullified the emergence of the caretaker committee and the party’s presidential primary that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate for the 2027 general elections.
It also invalidated Aregbesola’s emergence as National Secretary, the appointments of other national officers and the party’s nominations of candidates for the 2027 elections.
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