A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark, declaring the caretaker committee illegal.
The court also invalidated all actions taken by the committee, including the nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, November 5, the presiding judge, Peter Lifu upheld a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the party, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
The court granted the reliefs sought by Gombe, effectively invalidating the actions taken by the Mark-led leadership.
Gombe had argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, he was entitled to assume the party’s leadership in his capacity as the former deputy national chairman.
He consequently asked the court to restrain Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
The plaintiff also sought the nullification of decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership, arguing that its emergence violated the ADC constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu were listed as defendants.
The ruling invalidates the process through which the ADC conducted its presidential primary that produced Atiku as its flag bearer for the 2027 election.
Abubakar had subsequently selected former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate ahead of the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
Background
Thursday’s judgment is the latest development in the prolonged leadership crisis within the ADC, which began after the party’s former National Chairman, Nwosu, handed over its leadership to Mark and Aregbesola in July 2025.
The handover took place during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on July 2, 2025. It was followed by a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on July 29, 2025, where Mark and Aregbesola formally emerged as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
The party maintained that the process complied with its constitution and was monitored by INEC. However, the transition triggered opposition from members of the party, resulting in multiple legal challenges over who should control its leadership ahead of the 2027 general election.
One of the challengers was Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the party, who approached the Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025. He argued that following Nwosu’s resignation, he was entitled to assume the party’s leadership and challenged the process through which Mark and Aregbesola emerged.
The dispute subsequently went through the Court of Appeal, which issued an order directing the parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the substantive case.
Relying on the appellate court’s directive, INEC removed Mark and Aregbesola’s names from its official portal, effectively withdrawing recognition of the Mark-led leadership.
The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which, on April 30, 2026, set aside the Court of Appeal’s order. The apex court described the directive as “unnecessary, improper and unwarranted” and returned the substantive leadership dispute to the Federal High Court for determination.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, INEC restored Mark and Aregbesola’s names to its official portal as the ADC’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Meanwhile, a separate challenge to the Mark-led leadership was brought by Leke Abejide, a member of the House of Representatives, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.
On July 2, 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed Abejide’s suit and upheld the Mark-led leadership.
Delivering judgment, the judge, Musa Liman, held that the dispute concerned the internal affairs of a political party and was non-justiciable.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M