From Umar Danladi Ado, Sokoto
The Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto has dismissed a suit filed by Umar Faruk, a former chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Sokoto State, challenging the party’s leadership structure in the state.
The suit was dismissed on Friday by Justice Ahmad Gama, who ruled that the plaintiffs had failed to establish sufficient grounds to justify the reliefs they sought.
Faruk and other plaintiffs had approached the court in July, alleging that new entrants into the party had taken over its structure in Sokoto State.
They asked the court to recnognise Faruk as the substantive state chairman of the ADC.
However, after hearing arguments from lawyers representing both parties, Justice Gama ruled against the plaintiffs on all four reliefs sought in the case.
The judge held that the court lacked jurisdiction to intervene in the internal affairs of a political party.
He further explained that the plaintiffs had failed to exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before instituting the suit.
Justice Gama also noted that the plaintiffs had not established that their fundamental human rights had been violated.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the respondents, Suleiman Usman, SAN, described the ruling as sound and commendable.
Usman said the judge had demonstrated impartiality in reaching his decision, stressing that litigants must support their claims with substantial evidence to succeed in court.
He added that the judgment would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system and contribute to the development of constitutional jurisprudence.
