The Federal High Court in Abuja has officially affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Senate President David Mark.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Musa Liman dismissed the lawsuit filed by Representative Leke Abejide, which sought to challenge the legitimacy of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s national chairman and national secretary, respectively.
Justice Liman upheld the preliminary objections raised by the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, David Mark, and Rauf Aregbesola, ruling that the court lacked the jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of a political party.
The court described the suit as non-justiciable and noted that the plaintiff, Representative Abejide, failed to demonstrate that his personal rights were violated by the leadership transition.
Furthermore, the judge pointed out that the lawmaker failed to utilize the party’s established internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court.
On the substantive issues of the case, the court ruled in favor of the defendants, confirming that the emergence of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola followed due process. Justice Liman held that the transition of leadership from Chief Ralph Nwosu to David Mark complied with the party’s constitution.
The court further validated the July 29, 2025, National Executive Council (NEC) meeting—which produced the new leadership—as a legitimate process monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Consequently, the court declared the leadership of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola valid and in full accordance with the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act, 2026, and other relevant electoral laws.
As a result of the ruling, the court imposed a fine of ₦2 million on Representative Abejide for each of the defendants. Additionally, a fine of ₦10 million was awarded against the plaintiff’s legal counsel in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
Representative Abejide had originally filed the suit (marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025) in February, seeking to nullify the handover of power that occurred on July 2, 2025, at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre in Abuja.
His demands included a perpetual injunction to prevent Mark and Aregbesola from acting as party leaders and an order restraining INEC from recognizing their appointments, which he alleged violated Section 82 of the Electoral Act.
