A Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark, dismissing a suit filed by lawmaker Leke Abejide.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Musa Liman ruled that the case lacked merit and that the court had no jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of a political party.
The judge also held that Abejide failed to establish that his rights were violated and did not exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court.
Justice Liman upheld preliminary objections raised by the ADC, its former chairman Ralph Nwosu, David Mark, and the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola.
On the substance of the case, the court ruled that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as party leaders complied with the ADC constitution and relevant electoral laws. It further held that the July 2, 2025 meeting cited by the plaintiff was a stakeholders’ meeting that preceded a duly convened National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on July 29, 2025, where the leadership was formally ratified under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The court declared the leadership structure valid and awarded costs of ₦2 million each against Abejide in favor of the defendants, alongside an additional ₦10 million penalty against his counsel.
Abejide had sought to nullify the leadership transition from Nwosu to Mark and restrain both Mark and Aregbesola from acting as party leaders, as well as prevent INEC from recognizing them.
The ruling brings an end to months of legal dispute over the ADC’s leadership.
