Court Nullifies Suit against ADC, Declares No Jurisdiction in Party Dispute

A High Court sitting in Katsina State has vacated an earlier interim order issued in a dispute involving members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), ruling that the matter falls outside its jurisdiction.
The ruling, delivered on April 14, 2026, by Justice A. K. Tukur at the High Court of Justice, Dutsin-Ma Judicial Division, set aside the ex-parte order previously granted on April 7, 2026.
The case was filed by Alhaji Musa Usman Wamba, identified as the ADC State Chairman in Katsina, against Lawan Batagarawa, Babangida Ibrahim Mahuta, the ADC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the court order, Justice Tukur held that the subject matter of the suit relates strictly to the internal affairs of a political party. Citing Section 83(5) of the Electoral Act, the court emphasized that it lacks jurisdiction to entertain such matters, and therefore cannot grant interim or interlocutory orders in that regard.
Consequently, the court ruled that:
The ex-parte order issued on April 7, 2026, is vacated.
The suit is struck out entirely for want of jurisdiction.
The decision effectively nullifies any legal backing the earlier order may have provided in the ongoing leadership and stakeholder disputes within the ADC in Katsina State.
This development is expected to have implications for the party’s internal political dynamics, particularly amid broader national activities and conventions involving the ADC.