The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark, dismissing a suit challenging the legitimacy of the party's current leadership structure.
Justice Musa Liman, who delivered the judgment, held that the action instituted by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide was incompetent and lacked merit, ruling that the court could not interfere in the internal affairs of the political party.
The judge upheld the preliminary objections filed by the ADC, its former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who currently serves as the party's National Secretary.
Justice Liman held that the issues raised by Abejide were non-justiciable, adding that the plaintiff failed to establish that his legal rights had been infringed by the emergence of the current leadership.
He also faulted the lawmaker for approaching the court without first exhausting the dispute resolution procedures provided in the party's constitution.
In resolving the substantive issues in the suit, the court held that the transition of leadership from Nwosu to Mark was carried out in accordance with the ADC constitution and did not breach any provision of the law.
Justice Liman further ruled that the stakeholders' meeting held on July 2, 2025, merely preceded the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of July 29, 2025, where Mark and Aregbesola formally emerged as the party's National Chairman and National Secretary in a process monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the court, the emergence of the two party leaders complied with the provisions of the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026.
The court consequently affirmed the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership and dismissed all the reliefs sought by Abejide.
Justice Liman also awarded N2 million in costs against the plaintiff in favour of each of the defendants.
In addition, the court ordered Abejide's counsel to pay N10 million as costs in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
Abejide had filed the suit seeking to invalidate the handover of the ADC leadership by former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu to Mark and Aregbesola during a stakeholders' meeting held at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre in Abuja on July 2, 2025.
He had asked the court to declare the leadership transition illegal, null and void and to restrain Mark and Aregbesola from presenting themselves as the party's National Chairman and National Secretary.
The lawmaker also sought an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the duo as leaders of the ADC, contending that their emergence did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
However, the court rejected the claims and upheld the validity of the party's current leadership.
Leave a Reply