On Thursday, the Federal High Court in Abuja validated the leadership of Senator David Mark within the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Justice Musa Liman issued a ruling that dismissed a lawsuit initiated by Representative Leke Abejide, who had contested the legitimacy of Mark and Rauf Aregbesola serving as the party’s national chairman and secretary, respectively.
Justice Liman supported the preliminary objections raised by the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark, and Aregbesola. The court determined that it lacked jurisdiction to intervene in the internal management of the ADC, labeling the grievance as non-justiciable. Furthermore, the judge noted that Abejide failed to demonstrate any personal injury resulting from the leadership change and neglected to utilize the party’s internal dispute resolution procedures before taking legal action.
Regarding the validity of the leadership transition, the court found that the handover from Nwosu to Mark adhered to the ADC constitution. The judge confirmed that the July 2025 stakeholder meeting and the subsequent National Executive Council meeting, which were observed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), properly established Mark and Aregbesola as leaders in compliance with the Electoral Act of 2026.
As a result of the ruling, Abejide was ordered to pay a fine of N2 million to each defendant. Additionally, his legal counsel was fined N10 million for non-compliance with the Electoral Act. The original suit, filed in February 2025, had sought to nullify the party transition and prevent INEC from recognizing the new leadership.
