A Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Senator David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), ending a legal challenge against the party’s new leadership.
Justice Musa Liman dismissed a suit filed by Rep Leke Abejide, who challenged the emergence of David Mark as ADC National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s National Secretary.
The judge upheld the preliminary objections filed by the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, Mark and Aregbesola. He ruled that the suit lacked merit and could not succeed.
Justice Liman held that the court had no jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of the party.
He also ruled that Abejide failed to prove that the emergence of the new leadership violated his rights.
Justice Liman ruled that Ralph Nwosu’s handover of the party’s leadership to David Mark did not breach the ADC constitution.
The court noted that the July 2, 2025, stakeholders’ meeting came before the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on July 29, 2025, which produced Mark and Aregbesola as national officers.
The judge, however, declared that their emergence complied with the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act and the ADC constitution.
The court awarded ₦2 million each to all the defendants, with Abejide ordered to pay the costs.
The judge also ordered Abejide’s lawyer to pay ₦10 million in line with the Electoral Act.
Recall, Abejide had asked the court to nullify the handover of the ADC leadership to Mark and Aregbesola and stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising them.
External Links
African Democratic Congress (ADC): https://adc.org.ng
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC): https://www.inecnigeria.org
Federal High Court of Nigeria: https://fhc.gov.ng
