REWIND: In July, court dismissed suit challenging Mark-led ADC leadership over lack of jurisdiction
REWIND: In July, court dismissed suit challenging Mark-led ADC leadership over lack of jurisdiction
On Thursday, a federal high court in Abuja delivered a judgement that could affect the African Democratic Congress (ADC)’s participation in the 2027 elections.
The court nullified the leadership of the party led by David Mark, its national chairman, in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala, a former national deputy chairman (north-east) of the ADC.
Peter Lifu, the presiding judge, upheld Bala’s claim and invalidated all decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership, including the nomination of Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
Bala had approached the court to challenge the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party following the resignation of Ralph Nwosu, ADC’s former national chairman.
The plaintiff asked the court to nullify all decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s national chairman and national secretary, respectively.
‘COURT SHOULDN’T INTERFERE IN PARTY’S INTERNAL AFFAIRS’
In February, Leke Abejide, a member of the house of representatives, also approached the federal high court in Abuja to challenge the legality of the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as ADC national leaders.
Abejide sought an order declaring Nwosu’s handover of the party’s leadership to Mark and Aregbesola on July 2, 2025, at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, as “illegal, unlawful, null and void”.
He also sought a perpetual injunction restraining Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as leaders of the party.
On July 2, 2026, Musa Liman, a judge at the federal high court in Abuja, dismissed Abejide’s suit.
Liman upheld the preliminary objections filed by ADC, Nwosu, Mark and Aregbesola challenging the suit.
The judge ruled that the court lacked the jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of ADC, adding that the suit was non-justiciable.
He held that Abejide lacked the legal standing to institute the suit because he had failed to show that his rights were violated by the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.
Liman ruled that Nwosu’s handover of the party’s leadership to Mark did not violate the provisions of the ADC’s constitution.
The judge awarded N2 million in costs to each of the defendants, to be paid by Abejide. He also awarded an N10 million fine against Abejide’s lawyer.
In May, the federal lawmaker defected from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Before leaving the ADC, Abejide and Bala had been at the forefront of the opposition to the Mark-led leadership.
