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A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa, who was the lead counsel to Senator David Mark in the legal battle involving the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, has hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for abiding by the judgment of the Supreme Court without being prompted.
Okutepa, in a statement shared on his X handle via @sanjsokutepa on Friday, praised INEC for not waiting to be served the judgment of the apex court before restoring the leadership status of the ADC on its portal.
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed David Mark to return to the Federal High Court for the hearing and determination of issues arising from the leadership dispute within the ADC.
Commending INEC in his post, Okutepa wrote, “I am a legal practitioner. I am not a registered member of any political party in Nigeria. I am equally not an employee of any government. I owe no allegiance to anybody except the truth, justice, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I was the lead counsel to Sen. David Mark at the Supreme Court in the judgment delivered yesterday (Thursday).
“When I checked the INEC portal, it was clear that INEC, without prompting, has restored the leadership of the ADC to its portal.”
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He stated that the restoration of the names of the ADC leadership on the INEC portal was the right thing to do.
“The decision of the Supreme Court yesterday was clear. The appeal of Sen. David Mark was allowed in part. The order of the Court of Appeal for ‘maintenance of status quo ante bellum’ was held to have been made without jurisdiction and was accordingly set aside. It was the order of the Court of Appeal that INEC said it acted upon when it removed Sen. David Mark and his exco from its portal.
“INEC, as a corporate entity, has accorded respect to the decision of the Supreme Court without pretending that it was yet to be formally served with the judgment. That is the right thing to do in the circumstances,” he stated.
He noted that INEC was represented in the Supreme Court, adding that the prompt restoration of the ADC leadership to the INEC portal was commendable. “That is how it should be under the rule of law.”
He said INEC demonstrated respect for the rule of law in a country where some institutions would have been expecting to be served the court judgment before acting.
