Adamawa ADC Leadership crisis: Court adjourns to Nov 20 for defence counsel to file their case
The lingering leadership crisis rocking the Adamawa State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) took another turn on Monday as Justice Benjamin Manji of the Adamawa State High Court IX presided over a session in the suit filed by the embattled state executives challenging their removal from office.
The plaintiffs, led by the embattled ADC Chairman in Adamawa State, Shehu Yohanna Kambile and one other are seeking judicial intervention to reverse what they described as their unlawful removal before the expiration of their four-year tenure.
The suit lists among the defendants Ambassador Umar Sulaiman, Sadiq Dasin, Saidu Komsiri, Babachir David Lawal, the National Working Committee (NWC), and Senator David Mark.
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Speaking to reporters after the court session, the plaintiffs’ counsel, Yakubu Philomon (SAN), said the matter came up for further mention and for the defendants to show cause why the motion ex parte and an order of interim injunction should not be granted against them.
“The defendants were represented by counsel, who filed a preliminary objection and other processes, including a motion on notice to stop proceedings. The court decided to take all applications together and ordered the defendants to file their statement of defence so that both the objection and the substantive matter can be heard on the next adjourned date,” he said.
According to him, by mutual consent of counsels, the court adjourned the case to November 20, 2025, for hearing of all applications and the main suit.
On his part, Dr. Ibrahim Effiong, counsel to the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th defendants, confirmed that they had filed a notice of preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
“It’s a purely internal party dispute. We believe the court has no business interfering in the internal affairs of the ADC. However, we have also asked for accelerated hearing so the party can move on and put its house in order,” he said.
Effiong emphasized that the defence team is not out to delay proceedings but to ensure that due legal processes are followed, adding that they will file their responses on the merit within three days as directed by the court.
The political tension within the ADC in Adamawa continues to deepen as both factions await the court’s ruling on the legitimacy of the state leadership as the general election year draws closer.
