The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Senator David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congres(ADC), dismissing a lawsuit challenging the party’s current leadership.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Musa Liman ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, holding that the matter concerned the internal affairs of a political party and was therefore not justiciable.
The suit was filed by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide, who sought to nullify the July 2, 2025, transfer of the party’s leadership and restrain Mark and the National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, from acting in their respective capacities.
Justice Liman held that Abejide failed to establish the legal standing required to institute the suit and also did not exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism before approaching the court.
The court further ruled that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola complied with the ADC Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026. According to the judge, the leadership transition initiated by former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu was validly concluded through the party’s National Executive Committee meeting held under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The court awarded costs of N2 million each in favour of the defendants against Abejide and also directed the plaintiff’s counsel to pay N10 million as costs under the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
Reacting to the judgment, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the ruling as a victory for constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku commended the court for upholding legal principles on jurisdiction, locus standi and internal party dispute resolution.
He said the judgment reaffirmed that the judiciary should not be used as a tool for partisan political battles and maintained that the David Mark-led National Working Committee emerged through a lawful and transparent process in line with the party’s constitution.
Atiku also alleged that attempts had been made to weaken opposition parties through litigation and institutional interference but expressed confidence that the judgment would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
David Mark also welcomed the judgment, describing it as a victory for democracy, justice and the rule of law.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Kola Ologbondiyan, the former Senate President said the ruling vindicated the ADC’s position that its current leadership emerged in accordance with the party’s constitution and relevant electoral laws.
He praised the judiciary for its independence and urged party members and supporters to remain united as the ADC continues to position itself as a credible opposition platform.
The ADC, in its reaction, described the judgment as a reaffirmation that issues relating to its leadership remain internal party matters.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ruling confirmed that the emergence of the current leadership complied with the law and expressed hope that it would put an end to repeated legal attempts to destabilise the party.
He added that the ADC would remain focused on providing credible alternatives to the policies of the ruling government rather than being distracted by what it described as unnecessary legal challenges.
The judgment is expected to strengthen the legal standing of the David Mark-led National Working Committee as the party continues preparations for the 2027 general election.
