By David Odama
The leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) received a major boost after the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a lawsuit challenging the emergence of former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as leaders of the party.
Justice Musa Liman ruled that the suit filed by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide lacked merit and dealt mainly with the internal affairs of the party, which the court could not interfere with. He noted that Abejide failed to prove his rights were violated and did not exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution process before approaching the court.
The court held that the handover of leadership by former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu to David Mark was carried out in line with the party’s constitution and relevant electoral laws. Justice Liman also recognised the stakeholders’ meeting of July 2, 2025, and the subsequent National Executive Committee meeting of July 29, 2025, as valid processes that produced Mark as National Chairman and Aregbesola as National Secretary.
The ruling confirmed that the exercise was conducted under the supervision of INEC and complied with the Electoral Act. As part of the judgment, Abejide was ordered to pay ₦2 million each to the defendants, while his lawyer was fined ₦10 million.
This judgment effectively ends the legal challenge against the party’s current leadership and strengthens the position of the David Mark-led administration ahead of future political activities.
