By Jude Opara
The All Democratic Alliance, (ADA), has filed moves to challenge a Federal High Court judgment over its leadership dispute, saying it will seek to prevent the implementation of the ruling pending the determination of its appeal.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Leye Igbabo, the Political Association disclosed that it had instructed its legal team to approach the Court of Appeal and obtain an immediate stay of execution.
The development follows Monday’s judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), to release the party registration access code to the faction led by Chief Akin Ricketts.
However, the ADA maintained that the ruling did not amount to an order compelling INEC to register the association as a political party.
According to the group, the judgment only directed the electoral commission to release the registration access code to the Ricketts-led faction to recommence the registration process.
The Association insisted that changes in its leadership had already been formally communicated to INEC and duly acknowledged by the commission before the court’s decision.
It further claimed that the registration process had already been concluded under the National Executive Committee led by Prince Uche Secondus and Dr Umar Ardo.
“The change in the leadership of the Association was effectively and formally communicated to INEC before now, and the Commission had acknowledged and deemed the change to have been effected accordingly.
“Consequently, the registration process has since been completed by the Prince Uche Secondus- and Dr Umar Ardo-led National Executive Committee,” the statement said.
ADA argued that enforcing the judgment could create uncertainty within the association and disrupt what it described as a completed registration process, insisting it would pursue all available legal remedies to overturn the ruling.
