BREAKING! Court Ends ADC Leadership Battle, Affirms David Mark-Led Executive

• The Federal High Court in Abuja has upheld the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC, dismissing a suit challenging the party’s leadership and affirming that the process complied with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

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 House of Representatives member Leke Abejide challenging the party’s leadership.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Musa Liman ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of the party, describing the case as non-justiciable and lacking merit.

The court held that Abejide failed to prove that his rights had been violated and did not exhaust the ADC’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court.

Justice Liman further ruled that the emergence of David Mark as National Chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary complied with the ADC Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, and all relevant legal provisions.

The judge noted that the party’s July 2025 stakeholders’ meeting and subsequent National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), validly produced the current leadership.

The court consequently dismissed all the reliefs sought by Abejide and ordered him to pay ₦2 million each to all the defendants, while also imposing a ₦10 million fine on his lawyer in line with the Electoral Act, 2026.

Abejide had asked the court to nullify the leadership transition from former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu to David Mark and Aregbesola, arguing that the process was unlawful.