Court Upholds David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola as ADC Leaders

The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under David Mark. Justice Musa Liman dismissed the suit filed by Rep. Leke Abejide challenging the legality of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola’s appointments, declaring the suit lacking in merit and ordering a total of ₦20 million in fines.

The court declared that the emergence of David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary was valid and in compliance with the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act.

The judge ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of the party and noted that the dispute was non-justiciable.

The court upheld the preliminary objections raised by the ADC, its former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Senator David Mark, and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and agreed that the case was not one the court had jurisdiction to entertain.

Justice Liman held that the dispute concerned the internal affairs of the party and was therefore non-justiciable.

The judge further ruled that Abejide lacked the legal standing to institute the suit, having failed to demonstrate that his rights had been violated by the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.

He also noted that the lawmaker did not exhaust the ADC’s internal dispute resolution mechanism before approaching the court.

Justice Liman resolved all three issues raised in the substantive suit in favour of the defendants.

The court ruled that the appointments of former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s leaders were legal and complied with the relevant laws and the party’s constitution. Executive Branch.

According to the judge, Chief Ralph Nwosu’s decision to hand over the party’s leadership to Mark did not violate the ADC constitution.

The court further ruled that the July 2, 2025, meeting in question was only a stakeholders’ meeting before the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of July 29, 2025, where Mark and Aregbesola officially became the party’s leaders in an exercise supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Campaigns & Elections

Justice Liman consequently declared that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as the ADC’s national chairman and national secretary was valid and in compliance with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026.

The court also awarded costs of ₦2 million each in favour of all the defendants, which Abejide must pay.

In addition, Justice Liman ordered Abejide’s counsel to pay ₦10 million in costs in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.

In the originating summons, Abejide sued the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Senator David Mark, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the first through fifth defendants.

Among the reliefs sought, the lawmaker asked the court to nullify the July 2, 2025, handover of the party’s leadership by Nwosu to Mark and Aregbesola as interim national chairman and interim national secretary, arguing that the process was unlawful and unconstitutional.

The suit, filed on 15 February, listed the ADC, its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, Mr Mark, Mr Aregbesola and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the defendants.

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