The Supreme Court has thrown out the application to stay execution of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which led to the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to derecognise the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The decision of the Supreme Court to dismiss the application was followed by the withdrawal of the application by Jibril Okutekpa, the counsel to Mark, a former Senate president.
Arise TV reported that Okutekpa had told the five-member Supreme Court panel, headed by Justice Lawal Garba, that the interpretation of the Court of Appeal judgment by INEC on March 12 made the ADC not have a leader.
He added that the order for the parties to maintain the ‘status quo antebellum’ was the reason for the leadership vacuum in the party.
He then urged the court to take immediate action because of the time constraints ahead of the 202y general elections.
The Supreme Court then gave procedural directions to fast-track the process, which included the time for filing briefs and responses because of the time sensitivity of the matter ahead of the next cycle of polls. The substantive hearing of the matter was then scheduled for Tuesday, April 22.
