The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Senator David Mark, declaring illegal all actions taken by the party’s caretaker committee.
The ruling also invalidates the committee’s decision to nominate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu declared the Senator Mark-led caretaker committee illegal, including the process through which it conducted the party’s primary election that produced Atiku as its presidential flag bearer.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the ADC, who challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.
Gombe had argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was entitled to assume leadership of the party.
He consequently asked the court to nullify all decisions and actions taken by the Mark-led leadership, while seeking an order restraining Senator Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
The plaintiff maintained that their emergence violated the ADC constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu as defendants.
The court upheld Gombe’s claims and granted the reliefs sought.
Reacting to the judgment, the ADC National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the suit as an interested party, said the party would challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
The ruling comes amid preparations for the 2027 presidential election, in which Atiku had been presented as the ADC candidate and had reportedly picked former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
