Appeal Court Ruling Won’t Affect ADC Candidates, Party Leadership, Says Ogun Guber Hopeful, Biodun Ogundipe
ABEOKUTA – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Biodun Collins Ogundipe, has clarified that the recent Court of Appeal judgment involving the party was limited to the tenure of elected state executives and the conduct of state congresses, insisting that it has no bearing on the leadership of the party or its primary elections.
Ogundipe, while fielding questions from journalists on the outcome of the Appeal court judgment, explained that the appellate court only upheld an earlier restraining order preventing the termination of the tenure of elected state chairmen, a dispute that arose following the party’s state congresses held in April 2026.
According to him, some elected state chairmen had approached the court, arguing that their four-year tenure had not expired and that only elected state executives possessed the constitutional authority to conduct state congresses, rather than committees constituted by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
The governorship candidate, however, noted that the issue of tenure had since become academic, as the tenure of the affected state chairmen expired on May 19, 2026.
He maintained that the party was therefore constitutionally empowered to appoint caretaker committees to oversee its affairs at the state level pending the emergence of new executives.
On the second issue concerning the conduct of congresses, Ogundipe said the national leadership of the ADC disagreed with the Court of Appeal’s position and would challenge the judgment at the Supreme Court.
He argued that the party’s constitution does not restrict the conduct of state congresses solely to elected state executives, particularly after the expiration of their tenure.
According to him, the constitution also provides for the appointment of caretaker committees to administer the party and facilitate the conduct of fresh congresses where necessary.
Ogundipe dismissed speculations linking the judgment to the leadership of the party under former Senate President, David Mark or to the conduct of party primaries and nomination of candidates for future elections.
He stressed that the issues before the court were strictly related to the tenure of state executives and the authority to organise state congresses.
The ADC governorship candidate added that the party’s National Publicity Secretary had already issued a statement clarifying that the judgment did not affect the leadership of the party or its electoral processes.
“This Court of Appeal judgment primarily addressed these two issues. For (1), the time spent in court has overtaken that one, the tenure of the elected state chairmen met in the party during the coalition has officially expired on May 19, 2026.
“So this very issue is statute-barred (already a forgone issue now as far as the party is concerned). The party has the right to inaugurate caretaker committees to oversee the affairs of the party at the states, following such tenure expiration.
“For (2), this is the only part the party’s National Leadership disagrees with, of which the party will take to the Supreme Court. Because the party’s constitution does not infer that only elected state executives can conduct congresses for the party at the state level, following the expiration of a tenure.
“That cannot be; the party’s constitution equally provides grounds for the appointment of caretaker committees following the expiration of any officer’s tenure. Hence, the duty of conducting new congresses cannot be left to elected state executives alone.
“These are the two main issues involved in this case; it has got nothing to do with David Mark’s leadership status of the party or anything to do with the primary elections of the party and the nomination of candidates.”
