Get Guardian on Google…Accuses ruling party of double standards over compliance with court judgments
The Atiku-Ameachi Support Group of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has threatened to institute contempt proceedings against the All Progressives Congress (APC) over its alleged failure to comply with court judgments nullifying the election of Tunde Doherty as Chairman of the party’s United Kingdom (UK) Chapter.
The group accused the ruling party of applying double standards by demanding that the ADC comply with court orders concerning its internal leadership crisis while allegedly disregarding judicial decisions affecting its own party structure.
Its convener, Alhaji Shehu Idris, in a statement said a lower court had nullified Doherty’s election, a decision subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal, which dismissed his appeal.
Idris, however, alleged that Doherty had continued to parade himself as APC UK Chapter Chairman despite the subsisting court judgments.
The group also questioned the APC’s continued recognition of Doherty, recalling that the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, had previously clarified that the APC had no Diaspora Chapter but operated a Diaspora Association.
It argued that the party’s continued accommodation of Doherty in the disputed position contradicted both its public position and the existing court decisions.
According to the group, the APC could not insist that the ADC obey a court order concerning the dissolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) led by Senator David Mark while allegedly failing to enforce similar judicial decisions within its own ranks.
It maintained that obedience to court orders and respect for the rule of law should not depend on political affiliation or which party stands to benefit from a judicial pronouncement.
The support group consequently called on the APC national leadership to stop recognising Doherty as UK Chapter Chairman, enforce the court judgments and reaffirm its position that the party operates a Diaspora Association rather than a Diaspora Chapter.
It warned that its planned legal action was intended to defend the supremacy of the Constitution, uphold judicial authority and ensure that no political party considered itself above the law.
