The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday affirmed the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Justice Musa Liman dismissed the suit filed by Rep. Leke Abejide challenging Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary of the party, holding that it lacked merit.
The judge upheld preliminary objections filed by the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark and Aregbesola. He held that the court lacked jurisdiction to intervene in the internal affairs of the ADC, that the suit was non-justiciable, and that Abejide lacked the legal standing to bring the action, having failed to show that his rights were violated by the emergence of the Mark-led leadership. He also held that Abejide had failed to explore the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism.
Justice Liman resolved the three issues in the substantive suit in favour of the defendants. On whether Mark, a former Senate president, and Aregbesola, a former Governor of Osun, emerged in compliance with the enabling laws, the court found against Abejide.
The judge held that the handover of the party’s leadership by Nwosu to Mark did not violate the ADC constitution. He agreed that the disputed July 2, 2025 meeting was a stakeholder meeting which preceded the party’s National Executive Council meeting on July 29, 2025 that produced Mark and Aregbesola, an exercise monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Liman declared the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as leaders of the ADC valid and in accordance with the constitution, the Electoral Act, 2026 and the party’s law.
The court awarded a fine of N2 million each in favour of all the defendants, to be paid by Abejide, and a further N10 million fine against Abejide’s lawyer in compliance with the Electoral Act, 2026.
Abejide filed the originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, on February 15, suing the ADC, Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola and INEC as 1st to 5th defendants. He had sought orders nullifying Nwosu’s handover of the ADC leadership to Mark and Aregbesola as interim national chairman and interim national secretary on July 2, 2025 at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja, and restraining Mark, Aregbesola and INEC from recognising their leadership, alleging non-compliance with the Electoral Act. (Vanguard)