ecessity as the Mother of Trail Blazing: Applying Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms to Political Party Disputes in Africa

To be able to continue working together for the interest of their political party or country, persons involved in a political dispute need to have the root cause of the dispute removed and their pre-dispute relationship restored. The declaration of rights and liabilities – which is the only thing a Court can do in trying to resolve any dispute - is ineffective for such disputes. It is particularly so where there is case congestion and the attendant serious delay in the hearing and determination of cases in the Courts as is the case in practically all African countries. The alternative dispute resolution mechanisms can become the panacea for all such problems and the ideal way of resolving political disputes. This article considers these issues.