BY. CHIJIOKE CHARLES
The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark, dismissing a legal challenge against the party’s current national leadership and imposing millions of naira in costs against the plaintiffs.
Afrilensnews reports that Justice Musa Liman, who delivered the judgment on Thursday, dismissed the suit filed by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide, ruling that the court lacked the jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of the ADC.
Abejide had asked the court to declare the July 2, 2025, transfer of the party’s leadership from former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu to David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary respectively “illegal, unlawful, null and void.”
He also sought a perpetual injunction restraining Mark and Aregbesola from presenting themselves as leaders of the party.
However, Justice Liman upheld the preliminary objections filed by the ADC, Nwosu, Mark and Aregbesola, holding that the matter was non-justiciable because it concerned the internal affairs of a political party.
The judge further ruled that Abejide lacked the legal standing to institute the suit, having failed to demonstrate that any of his legal rights had been violated by the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.
According to the court, Nwosu’s handover of the party leadership did not breach the ADC constitution.
Justice Liman also held that the emergence of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola complied with both the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026.
In addition to dismissing the suit, the court ordered Abejide to pay N2 million each to all the defendants in the case, while his lawyer was separately fined N10 million, a decision legal observers say underscores the financial risks of pursuing cases that fail to establish legal standing.
The judgment is widely seen as a major legal victory for the Mark-led faction after months of uncertainty over the party’s leadership.
Political analysts believe the ruling could strengthen the ADC’s internal stability, reduce confusion over its recognised leadership and enable the party to focus on preparations for future elections instead of prolonged litigation.
The controversy began after Nwosu handed over the ADC leadership to David Mark’s team, a move strongly opposed by some party members, including Abejide and former deputy national chairman Nafiu Bala, who argued that the process violated the party’s constitution.
Their opposition triggered multiple lawsuits challenging the legitimacy of the new leadership.
In September 2025, Bala filed a separate suit before the Federal High Court seeking to stop Mark and his allies from acting as ADC leaders. Although the Court of Appeal later ruled that the matter should continue at the trial court and directed parties to maintain the status quo, the Supreme Court subsequently set aside that order, describing it as “unnecessary, unwarranted and improper,” before directing that the substantive issues be determined by the Federal High Court.
Legal practitioners say Thursday’s ruling is consistent with the long-established judicial principle that courts are generally reluctant to interfere in the internal affairs of political parties except where there is a clear violation of the Constitution, the Electoral Act or the legal rights of an aggrieved member.
They note that the court’s finding that Abejide lacked the legal standing to sue proved decisive in the outcome of the case. The verdict has generated mixed reactions across Nigeria’s political space.
Supporters of the Mark-led leadership have welcomed the judgment as a decisive affirmation of the party’s leadership and a step towards ending the prolonged internal crisis. However, some members aligned with the opposing faction insist that the broader political disagreements within the party may not disappear overnight despite the court’s ruling.
The judgment comes months after Abejide resigned from the ADC for the APC, where he later secured the party’s ticket for the Yagba Federal Constituency in Kogi State.
The ruling is expected to influence any pending or future litigation relating to the ADC leadership and may also shape how political parties handle internal leadership transitions, with legal experts urging aggrieved members to exhaust party mechanisms before resorting to the courts.
The report was first published by TheCable and monitored by Afrilensnews.
