Inibehe to INEC: If you want Tinubu to contest unopposed, say it publicly

 Human rights lawyer reacts to derecognition of the Mark-led ADC

The ADC is not my cup of tea, but there is now reasonable basis to infer existence of a well orchestrated sinister conspiracy to truncate contested and credible elections in 2027.

From what is publicly available, all the Executives of the ADC resigned to allow David Mark and Aregbesola to emerge as the National Chairman and the National Secretary respectively.

The man who took the case to the court, Nafiu Gombe, claims that he did not resign as Deputy

National Chairman, and that he ought to have automatically assumed the position of National Chairman “in line with the Party’s Constitution”.

Interestingly, the ADC held a National Executive Committee where the party ratified its new leadership led by Mark.

So, what’s the controversy here?

Is dispute over the leadership of a political party no longer the internal affairs of the political party?

It used to be the law that issues of political party leadership is non justiciable, or forum domesticum.

A Party’s NEC has the authority to decide who should lead the party.

If the ADC says they want another person to assume that role instead of the Deputy National Chairman, can the Court compel the same Party to submit to its Deputy?

Is this dispute justiciable?

Also, the Court of Appeal said the parties should maintain status quo ante bellum.

This means the state of affairs before the suit before the Federal High Court was filed by the Claimant.

Before the suit, who was the Chairman of the Party?

Was it not David Mark?

Is this INEC saying that the Order of the Court of Appeal implies that there should be leadership vacuum in the ADC until the case is determined by the Federal High Court?

Whose script is this INEC playing?

It seems that the ruling party, which prides itself as having over thirty governors in its fold, is so scared of a fair contestation.

If it is the desire of INEC for Bola Tinubu to contest as a sole candidate - unopposed, in 2027, let the Commission say so publicly.

It will save the country the billions of Naira budgeted for the ‘presidential election’.

Inibehe Effiong Esq