Court Nullifies Earlier Order, Strikes Out ADC Katsina Suit
A High Court of Justice in Katsina State, sitting in the Dutsin-Ma Judicial Division, has vacated its earlier ex-parte order in a suit involving factions of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction.
The ruling, delivered on April 14, 2026, by Hon. Justice A.K. Tukur, followed a motion ex-parte filed by counsel to the applicant, Mr. A.D. Umar, seeking the setting aside of an interim order earlier granted by the court on April 7, 2026.
The suit was instituted by Alhaji Musa Usman Wamba, the Katsina State Chairman of the ADC, against Lawan Batagarawa, who was sued on behalf of certain stakeholders of the party in the state, alongside Babangida Ibrahim Mahuta, the African Democratic Congress, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In his ruling, Justice Tukur held that the matter before the court bordered on the internal affairs of a political party, an area over which courts are expressly barred from exercising jurisdiction under Section 83(5) of the Electoral Act.
The court noted that the law clearly provides that no court shall entertain suits relating to the internal workings of political parties, nor grant interim or temporary orders in such matters.
Consequently, the judge vacated the earlier ex-parte order issued on April 7 and struck out the entire suit, citing want of jurisdiction.
The decision effectively halts judicial intervention in the dispute, leaving the parties to resolve their differences within the internal mechanisms of the party.
