By Abigail David
The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the leadership of David Mark as National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), dismissing a suit challenging the party’s current leadership.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Musa Liman upheld the preliminary objections filed by the ADC, its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, David Mark and National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola.
The court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit, holding that the dispute concerned the internal affairs of a political party and was therefore non-justiciable. It also found that the plaintiff, House of Representatives member Leke Abejide, lacked the legal standing to institute the case and failed to exhaust the ADC’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court.
Justice Liman further held that the emergence of David Mark and Aregbesola complied with the ADC Constitution and the Electoral Act 2026, affirming the validity of the party’s leadership transition. The court awarded ₦2 million in costs against Abejide in favour of each defendant and ordered the plaintiff’s counsel to pay an additional ₦10 million pursuant to the Electoral Act.
Reacting to the judgment, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the ruling as a victory for constitutional democracy and the rule of law. In a statement issued by his spokesman, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku commended the court for refusing what he described as attempts to use the judiciary for partisan political purposes.
He maintained that the David Mark-led National Working Committee emerged through a lawful and transparent process and reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing the presidency in the 2027 general election under the ADC-led opposition coalition.
David Mark also welcomed the judgment, describing it as a victory for democracy, constitutionalism and the independence of political parties. He said the ruling reinforced the legitimacy of the party’s leadership and pledged that the ADC would continue to provide credible opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The legal challenge stemmed from political realignments following the ADC’s adoption as a coalition platform by opposition figures preparing for the 2027 general election.
