On Thursday, the Federal High Court in Abuja officially recognized the leadership of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola within the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Presiding Judge Justice Musa Liman dismissed a legal challenge brought by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide, labeling the lawsuit meritless.
Justice Liman sided with the preliminary objections raised by the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark, and Aregbesola. The court concluded that it lacked the authority to intervene in the internal operations of the political party, deeming the dispute non-justiciable. Furthermore, the judge noted that Abejide failed to demonstrate any personal injury resulting from the transition in leadership and neglected to utilize the party’s internal grievance resolution procedures.
The court affirmed that the succession process, where former national chairman Ralph Nwosu stepped down in favor of former Senate President David Mark, complied with both the party constitution and the 2026 Electoral Act. The court specifically validated the July 2025 transition, noting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the proceedings. Consequently, the court ordered Abejide to pay N2 million to each defendant, and his legal counsel faces a N10 million fine under the provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act.
