A former chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Sokoto State, Umar Faruk, has lost his bid to regain control of the party after the Federal High Court in Sokoto dismissed his suit challenging its leadership structure.
Justice Ahmad Gama dismissed the case on Friday, ruling that the plaintiffs had failed to provide enough evidence to support their claims, NEWSNGR reports.
Faruk and other party members had filed the suit in July, alleging that new members had taken over the ADC’s structure in Sokoto State. They asked the court to restore Faruk as the party’s substantive state chairman.
The case followed a disagreement over who should control the ADC in Sokoto State, with Faruk and the other plaintiffs asking the court to intervene and restore the party leadership they claimed was rightfully theirs.
However, the judge held that the court could not interfere in the internal affairs of a political party in the circumstances of the case.
Justice Gama also faulted the plaintiffs for approaching the court without first exhausting the party’s internal process for settling disputes.
He further ruled that they had failed to show that their fundamental human rights had been violated.
Reacting to the ruling, counsel for the respondents, Suleiman Usman, SAN, welcomed the court’s decision.
Usman said the judge handled the case fairly and stressed that anyone who takes a case to court must provide strong evidence to support their claims.
“A litigant cannot win a case without proving it with substantial evidence,” he said.
He added that the judgment would help strengthen democracy and respect for the rule of law in Nigeria.
“The judgment has deepened our democratic system and constitutional jurisprudence in the country,” Usman said.
The lawyer also said the ruling showed the importance of presenting credible evidence and following the proper steps when seeking the court’s help in a dispute.
