The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has ordered all its state chapters to stop receiving court documents or hiring lawyers on behalf of the party without approval from its national headquarters in Abuja.
The directive, issued on Wednesday, places all legal matters under the control of the party’s National Legal Adviser. The decision is meant to ensure that every court case involving the ADC is handled from one centre and follows a single legal position.
The directive follows reports that court papers involving the party had been served on some state chapters and that lawyers had, in some cases, been engaged without the knowledge or approval of the National Legal Adviser.
The party said such actions could create conflicting legal positions in court and weaken its ability to defend itself. It has now instructed every state chapter to forward any legal process to Abuja immediately for action.
In the public notice signed by National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said its constitution gives only the National Legal Adviser the authority to instruct lawyers or represent the party in any court, tribunal, arbitration or administrative proceeding.
The party directed all state chapters, executive committee members, state legal advisers, officers and representatives not to receive, accept or keep any court process served on the party through state offices. Instead, every such document must be sent without delay to the National Legal Adviser at the party’s national headquarters.
The directive also stops state chapters from appointing lawyers, filing court documents, entering appearances, making legal concessions or taking any legal step in the party’s name unless they first receive written approval from the National Legal Adviser.
The ADC said this rule applies to every legal matter involving the party, regardless of where the case originates. It stated that a single legal authority is necessary to avoid conflicting actions that could affect court proceedings.
The party also declared that any court process served on a state chapter or state officer should not be treated as valid service on the ADC. It instructed officers to transfer such documents to the National Legal Adviser immediately.
Where a court permits substituted service through other means, the party directed state chapters to transmit the documents electronically to the national headquarters without delay so that the legal team can respond within the required time.
The notice also carries a warning for party officials who ignore the directive. The ADC said any unauthorised handling of court matters or engagement of lawyers in the party’s name could lead to disciplinary action under its constitution and other applicable rules.
The leadership further instructed all state chapters to circulate the notice to officers and members for immediate compliance. The aim is to ensure that every level of the party follows the same legal procedure whenever litigation arises.
The directive creates a single channel for handling legal disputes involving the ADC. By placing authority solely in the office of the National Legal Adviser, the party seeks to prevent multiple legal representatives from taking different positions in separate courts or legal proceedings.
The instruction also clarifies the responsibilities of state officers, particularly state legal advisers, who can no longer act independently in matters involving litigation against or by the party. Every legal decision must now originate from the national headquarters.
The notice comes as political parties continue to face court actions on internal disputes, elections and administrative matters. Although the ADC did not identify any specific lawsuit behind the directive, it linked the decision to reports that legal processes had already been served on state chapters and that lawyers had been engaged without national approval.
With the order now in effect, all future legal matters involving the ADC will be coordinated from Abuja. The party said strict compliance is expected from every state chapter and warned that failure to follow the directive could attract disciplinary measures under its constitution.