The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday put to rest the leadership tussle within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), affirming former Senate President, Sen. David Mark, as the authentic leader of the party.
Presiding Judge, Justice Musa Liman, dismissed the suit filed by a member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Leke Abejide, challenging the emergence of Mark and former Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the party, respectively.
In a scathing judgment, Justice Liman upheld the preliminary objections filed by the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark, and Aregbesola, ruling that the court lacked the jurisdiction to dabble into the internal affairs of the political party
The court held that Abejide lacked the *locus standi* (legal right) to institute the action, as he failed to prove how his personal rights were violated by the transition. Justice Liman also chided the lawmaker for bypassing the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before rushing to court.
Resolving the substantive issues in favor of the defendants, the judge ruled that the handover of the party’s leadership by the former chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, to Mark did not violate the ADC constitution. He affirmed that the July 29, 2025 National Executive Council (NEC) meeting which produced the current leadership was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and complied with the Electoral Act, 2026.
In a move to deter frivolous litigation, Justice Liman ordered Abejide to pay a fine of N2 million to each of the defendants.
Furthermore, the judge slammed a hefty N10 million fine against Abejide’s counsel, Idris, in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, for bringing a non-justiciable matter before the court.
