Abuja: The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a directive to all state chapters and officials across the nation, mandating the immediate forwarding of any court processes served on the party to the national legal adviser. This measure is aimed at preventing unauthorized legal actions within the party.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the directive was communicated in a statement released in Abuja by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi. The statement follows reports of unauthorized legal engagements involving the ADC. The party has been alerted that court processes related to it are being served on state chapters countrywide, and in some cases, legal practitioners have allegedly been engaged without the national legal adviser’s consent or approval.
Abdullahi emphasized that the party’s constitution explicitly empowers only the national legal adviser to instruct legal practitioners on behalf of the ADC nationwide. He reiterated that only the national legal adviser is authorized to issue letters of instruction to any legal practitioner representing the party in legal proceedings.
All state chapters, executive committee members, officers, state legal advisers, and representatives have been instructed not to receive, acknowledge, or retain any court processes served. The directive prohibits state chapters, state legal advisers, executive committee members, and other officials from engaging counsel, filing processes, or representing the party legally without prior approval.
Furthermore, Abdullahi stated that any court process served on a state chapter or officer will not be recognized as valid service on the party. He urged that all such court processes be immediately forwarded to the national legal adviser at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja for appropriate action. Court processes served through substituted means pursuant to court orders should be transmitted electronically to the national legal adviser without delay.
Abdullahi stressed the importance of strict compliance with this directive, warning that unauthorized handling of court processes could attract disciplinary measures. He advised all state chapters to circulate the directive among relevant officers and members nationwide to ensure immediate adherence to the instructions issued.