The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and dismissed the suit filed by House of Representatives member, Leke Abejide, challenging the emergence of Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as leaders of the party.
Justice Musa Liman, in a judgment delivered on Thursday, held that Abejide’s suit lacked merit and that the court lacked jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of the ADC.
The court also upheld the preliminary objections filed by the ADC, former National Chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark and Aregbesola, who had challenged the competence of the suit.
Justice Liman held that the dispute was non-justiciable, being a matter relating to the internal affairs of a political party.
The judge further held that Abejide lacked the legal right to institute the action, having failed to show how his rights were violated by the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.
He also found that the lawmaker failed to first explore the internal dispute resolution mechanism of the party before approaching the court.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, was filed by Abejide against the ADC, Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as first to fifth defendants.
Abejide had asked the court to nullify the handover or transfer of the party’s leadership by Nwosu to Mark and Aregbesola as interim national chairman and interim national secretary, respectively.
He claimed that the leadership change, which he said took place on July 2, 2025, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, was illegal, unlawful, null and void.
He also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as leaders of the party.
The plaintiff further asked the court to restrain INEC from recognising Mark and Aregbesola as ADC’s interim national chairman and interim national secretary.
However, the defendants urged the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that Abejide lacked locus standi and that the matter concerned the internal management of a political party.
They also argued that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola was not a unilateral handover by Nwosu, but a decision of the party’s organs.
In resolving the substantive issues, Justice Liman held that the handing over of the party’s leadership by Nwosu to Mark did not violate the provisions of the ADC constitution.
The judge agreed that the July 2, 2025 meeting of the party was a stakeholders’ meeting which preceded the National Executive Committee meeting held on July 29, 2025.
The court held that the NEC meeting, which produced Mark and Aregbesola as leaders of the party, was monitored by INEC.
Justice Liman therefore declared that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as leaders of the ADC was valid and in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act, 2026, and the party’s constitution.
The court resolved all three issues in the substantive suit in favour of the defendants and against Abejide.
The judge consequently awarded costs of ₦2 million each in favour of all the defendants, to be paid by Abejide.
He also awarded ₦10 million against Abejide’s counsel in compliance with the Electoral Act, 2026.
The judgment is the latest development in the prolonged leadership crisis within the ADC, which has been the subject of multiple suits before different courts.
TNL had earlier reported that the same court had adjourned judgment in the suit after parties clashed over jurisdiction and the competence of Abejide’s claims.
The court’s decision now clears one major legal hurdle for the Mark-led leadership, although other disputes involving factions of the party have also been before the courts.
With the dismissal of Abejide’s suit, the Federal High Court has affirmed that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola followed the party’s internal processes and could not be invalidated at the instance of the plaintiff.
The ruling also reinforces the long-standing judicial position that courts will generally not interfere in the internal affairs of political parties, except where a clear violation of law or civil rights is established.
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