Court Upholds David Mark-Led ADC Leadership, Dismisses Abejide’s Suit

The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark, dismissing a suit challenging his emergence as the party's national chairman alongside former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Musa Liman held that the suit filed by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide lacked merit and upheld the preliminary objections raised by the ADC, its former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, Mark and Aregbesola.

The court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of the political party, describing the matter as non-justiciable.

Justice Liman further held that Abejide failed to establish that any of his legal rights had been violated by the emergence of the current leadership, adding that he also did not exhaust the party's internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court.

The judge resolved all the substantive issues raised in the suit in favour of the defendants.

On the legality of the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola, the court held that Nwosu's handover of the party's leadership did not breach the ADC constitution or any applicable law.

Justice Liman also accepted the defendants argument that the meeting held on July 2, 2025, was a stakeholders meeting that preceded the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of July 29, 2025, where Mark and Aregbesola formally emerged as the party's leaders in a process monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court consequently declared that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola complied with the ADC constitution, the Electoral Act, 2026, and the party's internal rules.

As part of the judgment, the court awarded ₦2 million in costs against Abejide in favour of each of the five defendants, amounting to ₦10 million.

Justice Liman also ordered Abejide's counsel to pay an additional ₦10 million in costs in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.

Abejide had instituted the suit seeking to nullify the leadership transition that saw Nwosu step down for Mark at a stakeholders meeting held at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre in Abuja.

In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, Abejide asked the court to declare the appointment of Mark and Aregbesola as interim national chairman and interim national secretary illegal and void.

He also sought perpetual injunctions restraining the two politicians from parading themselves as ADC leaders and preventing INEC from recognising them in those capacities.

The lawmaker argued that their emergence did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

However, Thursday's judgment effectively settles the legal challenge at the Federal High Court, affirming the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership as the ADC continues preparations for the 2027 general elections.