Breaking: Court Issues Judgment on David Mark’s ADC Leadership
- Justice Musa Liman of the federal high court, Abuja, has announced a major ruling on the leadership of the ADC, spearheaded by former Senate President David Mark
- The court ruled on a suit filed by Leke Abejide, a member of the House of Representatives who is now with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
- Top members of the ADC who are allies of Mark include ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar; the party's founder Ralph Okey Nwosu; and ex-Osun governor, Rauf Aregbesola; among others
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - Ahead of the 2027 elections, the federal high court in Abuja on Thursday, July 2, 2026, affirmed Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
As reported by Vanguard, Justice Musa Liman, in a judgment, also dismissed the suit filed by a federal lawmaker, Leke Abejide, challenging Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary of the party, respectively, for lacking merit.
Source: Twitter
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also noted the update.
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 ADC, as the suit was non-justiciable.
He also held that Abejide lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having failed to show the court that his rights had been violated in any way as a result of the emergence of Mark-led leadership.
Furthermore, the court held that Abejide, who is a member of the House of Representatives from Kogi state, failed to explore the party’s internal mechanism for dispute resolution.
Justice Liman subsequently declared that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as leaders of the ADC was valid and in accordance with the constitution, the Electoral Act, 2026 and the party’s law.
ADC reacts to court's judgment
Reacting to the court's judgment, the ADC said it is pleased with the development.
In a statement signed by Bolaji Abdullahi, its national spokesperson, the ADC expressed hope that the latest ruling "will help bring to an end all the unnecessary distractions and attempts at judicial manipulation by those who are hell-bent on destabilising the opposition and foisting a one-party rule on the country."
The statement read:
"The African Democratic Congress (ADC) welcomes this judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction, while also dismissing the Plaintiff’s claims on their merits.
"This judgment, once again, affirms our clear position that the issue of leadership remains an internal affair of the party and is therefore not justiciable, especially in the light of the Electoral Act, 2022; and that the emergence of the current leadership of our great party, led by Senator David Mark, was carried out in accordance with the law and the Constitution of the ADC."
It added:
"While we view this ruling as yet another victory for multiparty democracy in Nigeria, it is our hope that this judgment will help bring to an end all the unnecessary distractions and attempts at judicial manipulation by those who are hell-bent on destabilising the opposition and foisting a one-party rule on the country."
Read the full X post of the ADC reacting to the court's judgment below:
Source: Facebook
Read more on ADC:
- 2027 election: ADC responds to rumours INEC refused to recognise David Mark's new leadership
- 2027 election: Did Senator Abdulaziz Yar'Adua dump APC for ADC? Lawmaker speaks out
- 2027 election: ADC speaks as Rabiu Kwankwaso reportedly considers joining party
ADC rejects deregistration order
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the ADC strongly opposed a federal high court ruling directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the party and four others, describing the judgment as an attempt to use the judiciary to undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.
In a statement, ADC national spokesperson Abdullahi condemned the ruling as unconstitutional and deeply troubling.
According to the ADC, the decision runs contrary to established legal precedents and even conflicts with positions previously advanced by INEC on the issue of political party deregistration.
Source: Legit.ng
