The African Democratic Congress (ADC), which is at the centre of a newly formed political coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, says 97 lawyers have been mobilised to defend the party and its interim leadership in court.

In a statement issued by its media office on Tuesday, the party accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of backing a lawsuit intended to discredit the ADC’s interim leadership. The ADC claimed that the plaintiffs in the case were not members of the party and were acting under false representation.

The suit, filed on Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja by three individuals — Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila — seeks to remove Senator David Mark as the ADC’s interim national chairman. The plaintiffs also questioned the legitimacy of the party’s interim leadership structure, arguing that the handover may have contravened a prior court judgment.

In case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1328, the ADC is the first defendant, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the party’s former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu, are named as second and third defendants. Senator David Mark, former interior minister Rauf Aregbesola, and ex-minister of sports Bolaji Abdullahi are the fourth, fifth, and sixth defendants, respectively.

In response, the ADC claimed that the plaintiffs are not listed in its membership database in either Kogi or Nasarawa states, where they claimed affiliation.

“The ADC accused the APC of deceiving Nigerians by using the names of non-ADC members to file a suit against the party and its interim leadership,” the statement said. “It smacks of desperation that a party elected in charge of the lives of no fewer than 200 million people can engage in shopping for the names of its citizens in pursuit of Machiavellian politics.”

The party’s National Legal Support Group also confirmed that legal preparations are underway. According to Barrister Mohammed Sheriff, head of the group, 97 lawyers have expressed willingness to represent the party in court.

The matter is expected to test the legal standing of the ADC’s interim leadership and the broader coalition it is helping to form ahead of the next election cycle.