The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday affirmed David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Delivering judgement, Justice Musa Liman also dismissed the suit filed by Leke Abejide challenging Mark and former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary of the ADC for lacking in merit.
Justice Liman upheld the preliminary objections filed by ADC, Ralph Nwosu, Mark, and Aregbesola which challenged Abejide’s suit.
The judge held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to dabble into the internal affairs of the ADC, saying the suit was non-justiciable.
He also held that Abejide lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having failed to show to the court that his rights had been violated in any way as a result of the emergence of Mark-led leadership.
He equally held that Abejide, who is a member of the House of Representatives, failed to explore the party’s internal mechanism for dispute resolution.
On whether Mark and Aregbesola emerged as leaders of the party in compliance with the enabling laws, Justice Liman resolved this against Abejide, the plaintiff in the suit.
He held that the handing over of the leadership of the party by Nwosu to Mark did not violate the provisions of the party’s constitution.
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The judge agreed that the disputed July 2, 2025, meeting of the ADC was a stakeholder meeting which preceded the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025, that produced Mark and Aregbesola as party’s leaders which was monitored by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Liman, therefore, declared that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as leaders of ADC was valid and in accordance with the constitution, the Electoral Act, 2026 and party’s law.
The judge consequently awarded a fine of N2 million each in favour of all the defendants which will be paid by Abejide.
Justice Liman also awarded a N10 million fine against Abejide’s lawyer in compliance with the Electioral Act, 2026.
Abejide had instituted the suit to stop Mark-led leadership of ADC.
In the originating summons, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025 filed on February 15, the lawmaker sued ADC, Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola, and INEC.
Nwosu was the former national chairman of ADC who stepped down for Mark.
Abejide, among the eight reliefs, sought an order nullifying Nwosu’s handover or transfer of ADC’s leadership to the former Senate President in 2025 for being illegal, unlawful, null and void.
