Court affirms Mark-led ADC leadership, fines Leke Abejide, counsel N20m

The federal high court in Abuja has affirmed the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

According to NAN, Musa Liman, the presiding judge, on Thursday, dismissed the suit filed by Leke Abejide, a member of the house of representatives.

The suit was filed to challenge the legality of the emergence of Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as ADC national chairman and national secretary, respectively.

Defendants in the case are Mark, Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the ADC, and Ralph Nwosu, former national chairman of the party.

Abejide sought an order declaring Nwosu’s handover of ADC leadership to Mark and Aregbesola on July 2, 2025, at Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja, as “illegal, unlawful, null and void”.

He also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as leaders of the party.

THE JUDGMENT

Liman upheld the preliminary objections filed by ADC, Nwosu, Mark and Aregbesola to challenge Abejide’s suit.

The presiding judge ruled that the court lacked the jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of ADC, adding that the suit was non-justiciable.

He held that Abejide lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having failed to show to the court that his rights had been violated following the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.

Liman ruled that the handing over of the leadership of the party by Nwosu to Mark did not violate the provisions of the party’s constitution.

The judge ruled that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as leaders of ADC was valid and in accordance with the constitution, and the Electoral Act, 2026.

The judge awarded a fine of N2 million each in favour of all the defendants which shall be paid by Abejide.

He also awarded a N10 million fine against Abejide’s lawyer.

In May, the federal lawmaker left the ADC for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Some days later, he won the APC primary for Yagba federal constituency in Kogi state.

THE CONTROVERSY

After the ADC national leadership was handed over to Mark-led executives, some ADC members, including Abejide and Nafiu Bala, a former vice-chairman, opposed the development.

The opposition triggered multiple lawsuits against the Mark-led leadership.

On September 2, 2025, Bala, former vice-chairman of the ADC, approached a federal high court in Abuja (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025), seeking to stop Mark and his faction from parading themselves as leaders of the party.

The motion ex parte was heard on September 4, 2025, and Nwite directed that the respondents, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), be put on notice to show cause why the motion ex parte should not be granted.

Prior to the interim order, Bala had declared himself the national chairman of ADC at a press conference in Abuja.

He accused the Mark-led leadership of unlawfully taking over the ADC and breaching its constitution.

Bala denied that he resigned as the deputy national chairman of the ADC.

Dissatisfied with the interim ruling, Mark filed an appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the federal high court to continue to hear Bala’s suit.

However, on March 12, 2026, the court of appeal dismissed Mark’s case in its entirety, holding that it was incompetent and unmeritorious.

The appeal court directed parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum and refrain from taking any action capable of undermining the proceedings before the trial court.

The Mark-led faction approached the supreme court after the INEC withdrew its recognition following the judgment of the court of appeal.

On April 30, the supreme court directed Mark to return to the federal high court for the hearing and determination of issues arising from the leadership dispute within the ADC.

The apex court set aside the status quo order, describing it as “unnecessary, unwarranted and improper”.(TheCable)