A Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), declaring its caretaker committee illegal and nullifying actions taken under its authority, including the nomination of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Justice Peter Odo Lifu, who delivered the judgment on Thursday, declared illegal the processes through which the former Senate President David Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and other officials emerged as national officers of the opposition party.
The court also nullified all decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership, including the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku Abubakar as its flag bearer.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC (North-East), who challenged the legality of the process through which Mark and other members of the party’s caretaker leadership assumed office.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, as defendants.
Gombe had argued that following Nwosu’s resignation, he was constitutionally entitled to take over the party’s leadership.
He maintained that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola violated the ADC constitution, the Electoral Act and other relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
He consequently asked the court to restrain Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively, and to nullify decisions taken by their leadership.
Upholding Gombe’s case, Justice Lifu held that the emergence of the Mark-led leadership was unlawful. The judge also directed that INEC should not recognise or act on decisions taken at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting of July 27, 2025.
The ruling has far-reaching consequences for the ADC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, as it invalidates not only Atiku’s presidential nomination, but also the emergence of all other candidates presented by the party for elective positions.
Atiku had emerged as the ADC presidential candidate following the party’s primary election and subsequently picked former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
INEC had earlier published Atiku Abubakar’s name among the candidates for the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
GIK/APA