The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under Sen. David Mark, dismissing a suit by Rep. Leke Abejide that sought to nullify Mark’s emergence as national chairman.
Justice Musa Liman, delivering judgment on Thursday, ruled that the suit lacked merit and upheld preliminary objections filed by the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark, and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola challenging Abejide’s case.
The court held it lacked jurisdiction to intervene in the internal affairs of the ADC, describing the suit as non-justiciable.
Justice Liman further found that Abejide had no locus standi to institute the suit, having failed to demonstrate that his rights were violated by Mark’s emergence as party leader.
The judge also noted that Abejide, a member of the House of Representatives, had not exhausted the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court.
Ruling on the substantive suit, Justice Liman resolved all three contested issues in favour of the defendants.
He held that Nwosu’s handover of the ADC leadership to Mark did not breach the party’s constitution, and that the disputed July 2, 2025 meeting was a stakeholders’ gathering that preceded the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of July 29, 2025 the meeting that formally produced Mark and Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary, and which was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The court declared the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola valid and in compliance with the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act, and ADC’s internal rules.
Justice Liman ordered Abejide to pay N2 million in fines to each of the defendants, and imposed a separate N10 million fine on Abejide’s lawyer.
Abejide had filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025 on February 15, naming the ADC, Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola, and INEC as 1st to 5th defendants. Nwosu is the former ADC national chairman who stepped down in favour of Mark.
Among eight reliefs sought, Abejide asked the court to nullify Nwosu’s July 2, 2025 handover of party leadership to Mark and Aregbesola at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, as unlawful and void.
He also sought perpetual injunctions restraining Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as ADC leaders and barring INEC from recognising them, alleging their emergence failed to meet the requirements of Section 82 of the Electoral Act.
