APC tells ADC to resolve internal crisis, stop blaming ruling party

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has told the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to resolve its internal leadership crisis rather than blame the ruling party for the Federal High Court judgment that sacked the David Mark-led leadership of the opposition party.

The APC said the judgment delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja was the consequence of what it described as an unlawful takeover of the ADC leadership by Mark and his allies to advance former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition.

In a statement on Friday, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the ruling party had no involvement in the legal dispute, insisting that “APC is neither a party nor an interlocutor in the matter.”

Morka accused the ADC of selectively respecting the judiciary, saying the opposition party praised court decisions when they favoured it but accused the APC of collusion and attacked the judiciary whenever rulings went against it.

“Every time a court decides against the Senator David Mark-led factional African Democratic Congress (ADC), they accuse the All Progressives Congress (APC) of collusion and deprecate the judiciary. Every time a court decides in their favour, they hail the rule of law and extol the judiciary,” he said.

He said the case was initiated by aggrieved ADC national officers who challenged what he described as the takeover of the party’s leadership by Mark and his allies to satisfy Atiku’s presidential ambition.

According to him, the court found the leadership change to be in violation of the rule of law and the ADC’s internal democracy.

Morka said Thursday’s judgment sacked the David Mark-led leadership and consequentially nullified its official actions, including the party’s primary election processes and outcomes.

He challenged the ADC to appeal the judgment if it was dissatisfied with the decision rather than accuse the APC of interference.

“If ADC is dissatisfied with that decision, it should exercise its constitutional right of appeal rather than engage in partisan mudslinging against our great Party and issuing threats to incite anarchy against the same Nigerians they claim they desire to govern,” he said.