The Federal High Court has dismissed a suit filed by the former Sokoto State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Umar Faruk, and other party members, challenging the leadership structure of the party in the state.
Justice Ahmad Gama dismissed the case on Friday, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to provide sufficient grounds and evidence to justify the reliefs sought.
Faruk and the other claimants had approached the court in July, seeking an order reinstating him as the substantive chairman of the ADC in Sokoto State.
They had alleged that new entrants into the party had taken over its existing structure, prompting the leadership dispute.
However, the court rejected all four reliefs sought by the plaintiffs, holding that the claims lacked merit and were unsupported by sufficient evidence.
Justice Gama further held that the court could not interfere in the internal affairs of a political party, particularly where the party’s internal mechanisms for resolving disputes had not been exhausted.
The judge also ruled that the claimants failed to establish any violation of their fundamental human rights.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the respondents, Suleiman Usman, SAN, commended the court for what he described as a sound and well-reasoned decision.
Usman said the judgment reinforced the principle that litigants must provide credible and substantial evidence to establish their claims.
“A litigant cannot win a case without proving it with substantial evidence,” he said.
He added that the decision would strengthen democratic institutions and promote the rule of law in Nigeria.
“The judgment has deepened our democratic system and constitutional jurisprudence in the country,” he said.
The suit arose from a leadership dispute within the ADC’s Sokoto chapter, with Faruk and other members challenging the party’s existing leadership arrangement and seeking judicial intervention.
