News Investigators/ The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday affirmed David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Justice Musa Liman, in a judgment, also dimissed the suit filed by Rep Leke Abejide challenging Mr Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary of the party for lacking in merit.
Justice Liman upheld the preliminary objections filed by ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mr Mark and Mr Aregbesola which challenged Mr 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 mr 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 Mr Mark-led leadership.
He equally held that Mr Abejide, who is a member of House of Representatives, failed to explore the party’s internal mechanism for dispute resolution.
Justice Liman also resolved the three issues in the substantive suit in favour of the defendants.
On whether Mr Mark, the former Senate president and Mr Aregbesola, who was former Governor of Osun, emerged as leaders of the party in compliance with the enabling laws, the judge resolved this against Mr Abejide, the plaintiff in the suit.
He held that the handing over of the leadership of the party by Mr Nwosu to Mr Mark did not violate the provisions of the party’s constitution.
The judge agreed that the disputed July 2, 2025 meeting of the party was a stakeholder meeting which preceded the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025, that produced Mr Mark and Mr Aregbesola as party’s leaders which was monitored by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Liman, therefore, declared that the emergence of Mr Mark and Mr 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 shall be paid by Mr Abejide.
He also awarded a N10 million fine against Mr Abejide’s lawyer in compliance with the Electioral Act, 2026.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Abejide had instituted the suit to stop Mr Mark-led leadership of ADC.
In the originating summons, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025 filed on Feb. 15 by Idris, the lawmaker sued ADC, Ralph Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola and INEC as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.
NAN reports that Mr Nwosu was the former national chairman of ADC who stepped down for Mr Mark, the ex-Senate president.
Mr Abejide, among the eight reliefs, sought an order nullifying Mr Nwosu’s handover or transfer of ADC’s leadership to Mr Mark and Mr Aregbesola as interim national chairman and intenm national secretary respectively on July 2, 2025, at Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja for being illegal, unlawful, null and void.
He sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Mr Mark and Mr Aregbesola from parading themselves as leaders of the party “as thelr purported appointment, selection or election was unlawful, illegal, null and void.”
He also sought perpetual injunction, restraining INEC from recognising Mr Mark and Mr Aregbesola as ADC’s interim national chairman and interim national secretary “.
He alleged that their appointment. selection or election did not meet the requirements of Section 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022,” among other prayers.
NAN
