JUST IN: Court upholds David Mark’s ADC leadership, dismisses Abejide’s suit

The federal high court in Abuja has affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under David Mark, former Senate President, dismissing a suit challenging the emergence of the party’s current national leadership.

Justice Musa Liman, who delivered judgment on Thursday, struck out the case filed by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide, holding that it lacked merit and could not be entertained by the court.

The judge upheld the preliminary objections filed by the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, its former national chairman, David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, ruling that the dispute centred on the internal affairs of the political party.

Justice Liman also held that Abejide failed to establish that his legal rights had been violated by the leadership changes within the party. He further ruled that the lawmaker approached the court without first exhausting the ADC’s internal dispute resolution process.

On the substantive issues, the court found that the appointments of Mark as National Chairman and Aregbesola as National Secretary complied with the ADC constitution and relevant electoral laws.

The judge held that Chief Nwosu’s decision to hand over the party’s leadership did not breach the party’s constitution, adding that the July 2, 2025 gathering questioned by the plaintiff was only a stakeholders’ meeting.

According to the court, the formal emergence of the new leadership took place during the party’s National Executive Committee meeting held on July 29, 2025, an exercise monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Liman consequently declared the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as valid and consistent with the provisions of the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026.

The court also awarded ₦2 million in costs to each of the defendants, to be paid by Abejide.

In addition, Abejide’s counsel was ordered to pay ₦10 million in costs in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.

Abejide had approached the court to nullify the transfer of the party’s leadership from Chief Ralph Nwosu to David Mark and Aregbesola, arguing that the process violated both the ADC constitution and electoral laws.

The lawmaker also sought orders restraining Mark and Aregbesola from acting as the party’s national chairman and national secretary, as well as an injunction preventing INEC from recognising them in those capacities.

However, Thursday’s judgment dismissed those claims, leaving the Mark-led leadership firmly in place.