The leadership crisis within the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) has taken a fresh turn, with one faction rejecting a Federal High Court ruling that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release the party's registration access code to a group led by Chief Akin Ricketts.
The faction, led by Prince Uche Secondus and Dr. Umar Ardo, described the judgment as unacceptable and announced plans to challenge it at the Court of Appeal while seeking an order to halt its implementation.
In a statement released on Tuesday by the association's National Publicity Secretary, Leye Igbabo, the group insisted that the judgment neither conferred recognition on the Ricketts-led camp nor directed INEC to register the ADA as a political party.
According to the statement, the court only instructed the electoral commission to issue the registration access code to the Ricketts faction to recommence the registration process.
The association maintained that such an order was unnecessary because the leadership of the organisation had changed long before the judgment and that the changes had already been communicated to, and acknowledged by, INEC.
It argued that the registration exercise had since been completed under the National Executive Committee headed by Prince Uche Secondus and Dr. Umar Ardo.
The group further alleged that Chief Ricketts and several other promoters had exited the association for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), contending that they no longer possess the legal standing to act on behalf of the ADA.
It warned that implementing the court's decision would amount to imposing individuals who had abandoned the association on its current leadership and reopening a registration process it considers concluded.
Describing the judgment as an abuse of process, the faction expressed optimism that the Court of Appeal would overturn the decision after hearing its appeal.
The dispute follows Monday's ruling by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who directed INEC to generate and release the registration access code to the Ricketts-led leadership within 72 hours.
The court also ordered the electoral commission to reopen its registration portal for one week to enable the faction upload its membership register and other statutory documents required for the registration process.
Justice Lifu held that INEC acted improperly by issuing the access code to Dr. Umar Ardo, whom the court ruled was neither the recognised Protem National Chairman nor the Protem Secretary of the association.
The court consequently nullified every document and action undertaken by Ardo in connection with the party registration exercise.
The suit was filed after the Ricketts-led faction accused INEC of recognising Ardo's leadership and denying it access to the registration portal needed to complete the registration of the proposed political party under the Electoral Act.
The latest legal battle has further exposed the deepening divisions within the ADA, with both camps claiming legitimacy as they continue their contest for control of the association's leadership and registration process.
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