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 the legitimacy of the party’s current leadership.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Musa Liman ruled that the case filed by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide lacked merit and upheld the preliminary objections raised by the ADC, its former National Chairman Chief Ralph Nwosu, David Mark, and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
The court held that it lacked jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of the party, describing the matter as non-justiciable. Justice Liman also ruled that Abejide failed to establish that his rights had been violated by the emergence of the Mark-led leadership, thereby lacking the legal standing to institute the suit.
The judge further noted that the lawmaker did not exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism before approaching the court.
Justice Liman resolved all three issues raised in the substantive suit in favour of the defendants.
On the legality of the emergence of Mark as National Chairman and Aregbesola as National Secretary, the court held that the leadership transition from Chief Ralph Nwosu complied with the ADC constitution and relevant laws.
According to the judgment, the July 2, 2025 stakeholders’ meeting that paved the way for the leadership change was valid and preceded the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025. The court noted that the NEC meeting, which formally produced Mark and Aregbesola as the party’s leaders, was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Liman consequently declared the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as valid and in line with the ADC constitution, the Electoral Act, 2026, and the party’s governing rules.
The court also imposed financial penalties on the plaintiff, ordering Abejide to pay N2 million each to all the defendants. In addition, the judge fined Abejide’s counsel N10 million under the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
Abejide had approached the court seeking to nullify the transfer of the ADC leadership from Nwosu to Mark and Aregbesola, arguing that the process violated the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, filed on February 15, 2025, the lawmaker listed the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and INEC as defendants.
Among the eight reliefs sought, Abejide asked the court to invalidate the July 2, 2025 handover of the party’s leadership at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Center in Abuja, describing it as unlawful, null and void.
He also sought perpetual injunctions restraining Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s leaders and preventing INEC from recognizing them in those capacities, alleging that their emergence did not comply with Section 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
Thursday’s judgment, however, dismissed all the claims, effectively cementing the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC.
