The 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 a member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, challenging the party’s leadership transition.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Musa Liman held that the case lacked merit and was not justiciable because it bordered on the internal affairs of a political party. The court upheld the preliminary objections raised by the ADC, its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, National Chairman David Mark, and National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola. Justice Liman ruled that Abejide failed to prove that any of his legal rights had been violated by the emergence of the current party leadership and also failed to exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism before approaching the court.
The judge further held that disputes relating to the internal administration and leadership of political parties are generally beyond the jurisdiction of the courts, except where there is a clear violation of the law or infringement of a member’s legal rights. He found no breach of either the ADC Constitution or the Electoral Act in the transition of leadership from Nwosu to Mark.
Justice Liman also declared that the stakeholders’ meeting held on July 2, 2025, and the subsequent National Executive Committee meeting of July 29, 2025, formed part of the lawful process that produced Mark as National Chairman and Aregbesola as National Secretary. He noted that the NEC meeting was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), lending credibility to the process.
As part of the judgment, the court ordered Abejide to pay litigation costs of ₦2 million each to the defendants. It also awarded ₦10 million against his counsel in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act. Abejide had sought to nullify the leadership handover, restrain Mark and Aregbesola from acting in their official capacities, and stop INEC from recognising them as ADC national officers.
The ruling effectively puts to rest the legal challenge against the party’s current leadership, reinforcing the legitimacy of the David Mark-led executive. The leadership transition has drawn national attention following efforts by opposition politicians to reposition the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the court’s decision providing judicial backing for the party’s new leadership structure.
