By Lanre Oloyede
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has directed all its state chapters and officials across the country to immediately forward any court processes involving the party to its National Legal Adviser.
The party further instructed that no state chapter or officer has the authority to receive legal documents or engage lawyers on behalf of the party without prior written approval from the national headquarters.
The directive was contained in a public notice issued on Wednesday and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi.
According to the ADC, the decision followed reports that court processes relating to the party were being served on some state chapters and, in some instances, legal practitioners had allegedly been engaged to represent the party without the knowledge or authorisation of its National Legal Adviser.
The party maintained that, under its constitution, only the National Legal Adviser is empowered to issue instructions to legal practitioners to represent or act on behalf of the party in any court, tribunal, arbitration, administrative proceeding, or other legal process.
Consequently, the ADC directed all state chapters, executive committee members, state legal advisers, and other officials not to receive, acknowledge, or take custody of any court process purportedly served on the party through state offices or officials.
It warned that no state chapter, state legal adviser, executive committee member, or any other state-level officer has the authority to engage counsel, file court processes, enter appearances, concede claims, or otherwise represent the party in legal proceedings without the express written approval of the National Legal Adviser.
The notice added that any court process served on a state chapter or official would not be regarded as valid service on the party and must be forwarded immediately to the National Legal Adviser at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja for appropriate action.
The ADC also instructed that where court processes are served through substituted means pursuant to a court order, such documents should be transmitted electronically to the National Legal Adviser without delay.
The party warned that any unauthorised handling of court matters or engagement of legal practitioners in its name could attract disciplinary measures in accordance with its constitution and other applicable rules. It directed all state chapters to circulate the notice to relevant officers and members for immediate compliance.
