The Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday upheld the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Senate President David Mark, dismissing a suit filed by a member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, for lack of merit.
Mark describes the court verdict that confirmed his leadership of the party as a victory for democracy and justice as it reinforces Nigeria’s constitutional order beyond the party itself.
Also, the presidential candidate of ADC, Atiku Abubakar, commended the judiciary for showing courage, independence and fidelity to the Constitution in the face of “sustained attempts by desperate political actors to weaponise the courts against the opposition”.
The ADC has hailed the court for dismissing the case and said the ruling cleared lingering court cases on the party’s leadership.
Justice Musa Liman, in his judgment, held that the preliminary objections raised by ADC, its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, Mark and its National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, were valid.
The judge held that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the matter as it bordered on the internal affairs of a political party which he described as non-justiciable.
Justice Liman also ruled that Abejide lacked the locus standi to institute the suit because he failed to prove how his rights were infringed upon by the emergence of the present ADC leadership.
He also held that the lawmaker had not exhausted the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism before approaching the court.
The judge also ruled in the defendants’ favour on the issues raised in the substantive suit.
Liman said the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as the party’s leaders was legal because the transfer of leadership by Nwosu did not contravene the ADC constitution. He said the July 2, 2025 stakeholders’ meeting where Nwosu handed over the party’s leadership was held before the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of July 29, 2025, which officially produced Mark and Aregbesola as the party’s national chairman and national secretary, respectively, under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The court held that the emergence of the duo was in line with the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026.
Justice Liman subsequently granted costs of N2 million each in favour of the defendants against Abejide. He also ordered that the counsel to Abejide should pay N10 million as costs in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, filed on February 15, Abejide sued the ADC, Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola and INEC, seeking to nullify the handover of the party’s leadership to them on July 2, 2025.
Among other reliefs, the lawmaker asked for an order restraining Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as the national chairman and national secretary of the party and an injunction restraining INEC from recognising them as ADC leadership, saying their emergence did not follow the party’s constitution and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
THE ruling may have settled the dispute over the ADC’s leadership, but Mark said its implications go far beyond the party.
The party chairman said the judgement re-affirmed the independence of the judiciary and boosted confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process and the right of political parties to operate without interference.
Mark made the comments in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, who described the judgment as another milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey and reiterated the ADC’s commitment to constitutional governance.
“This is not just a victory for our party but a victory for democracy, justice and every Nigerian that believes in a vibrant political system where ideas compete freely and the will of the people ultimately prevails,” Mark said.
He said the judgment vindicated ADC’s long standing belief in multi-party democracy, rule of law and the constitutional right of all Nigerians to freely associate and participate in the political process.
Reacting to the ruling, Atiku in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the ruling was a victory not for the party alone, but for constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
He said the court’s ruling reaffirmed the long-standing legal principle that political parties are governed by their constitutions and that internal disputes should be first addressed through the mechanisms provided in them.
“[T]he court could not have been more clear. It rightly ruled that the matter is bordering on the internal affairs of the ADC, that the Federal High Court lacks jurisdiction and that the plaintiffs neither exhausted the internal remedies provided by the party’s constitution nor established the locus standi required to invoke the jurisdiction of the court,” the statement said.
Liman’s refusal to allow the judiciary to become an extension of partisan political warfare was lauded by the former Vice President who said the ruling was a reminder that “while political desperation may cast temporary shadows over our democracy, truth and justice will ultimately prevail.”
