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Human rights activist and legal practitioner, Kabir Akingboolu, has identified an appeal against the recent court judgment or a possible merger with another political party as the options available to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to remain politically relevant ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Akingboolu, who was reacting to the court’s decision on the leadership crisis rocking the opposition party, said the affected faction must urgently approach the appellate court to challenge the judgment, noting that the outcome of the legal battle would determine its political future.
He, however, expressed confidence in the soundness of the judgment, arguing that the law does not permit individuals to join a political party and immediately take over its leadership structures without satisfying the established membership requirements.
According to him, the party’s membership register submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is a critical factor in determining who legitimately belongs to the party and is qualified to occupy leadership positions.
He explained that most political parties have constitutional provisions requiring members to maintain financial membership for a specified period, usually six months, before becoming eligible to hold executive positions.
Akingboolu questioned the legitimacy of individuals, who, having allegedly failed to satisfy these requirements, sought to take over the party’s leadership, including key positions such as the national secretary.
He maintained that the affected individuals could not simply displace existing party structures without complying with the party’s constitution and relevant provisions of the law.
The legal practitioner said the immediate option before the aggrieved faction was to appeal the judgment without delay, adding that the legal process could still provide an opportunity to approach the Supreme Court if the matter remained unresolved at the Court of Appeal.
He said: “The only option open to them is to go on appeal. If they win or lose, they still have the opportunity to get to the Supreme Court, depending on the outcome of the proceedings.”
Akingboolu added that if the faction eventually lost the legal battle, it could consider collapsing its political structure into another party and forming a formidable alliance as an alternative means of participating in the 2027 elections.
He stressed that all was not necessarily lost for the faction, provided it acted quickly and explored the available political and legal options.
However, he warned that the consequences of failing to secure favourable judicial pronouncements could be significant, particularly as the party would be left without a recognised candidate for the forthcoming electoral contest.
