The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Senate President David Mark, dismissing a suit filed by a member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, for lack of merit.

According to Mark, the court judgment affirming his leadership of the party is a victory for democracy and justice, as it reinforces Nigeria’s constitutional order beyond the party itself.

Also, the presidential candidate of ADC, Atiku Abubakar, commended the judiciary for demonstrating courage, independence and fidelity to the Constitution in the face of “sustained attempts by desperate political actors to weaponise the courts against the opposition”.

Commending the court for throwing out the case, ADC stressed that the ruling laid to rest lingering court cases on the party’s leadership

Delivering judgment, Justice Musa Liman upheld the preliminary objections raised by the ADC, its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu; Mark and its National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola.

The judge held that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter because it bordered on the internal affairs of a political party, which he described as non-justiciable.

Justice Liman also ruled that Abejide lacked the legal standing to institute the suit, having failed to demonstrate how his rights were violated by the emergence of the present ADC leadership.

He further held that the lawmaker did not exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism before approaching the court.

The judge equally resolved the issues raised in the substantive suit in the defendants’ favour.

On the legality of the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as the party’s leaders, Liman held that the transfer of leadership by Nwosu did not contravene the ADC constitutional held that the July 2, 2025 stakeholders’ meeting, where Nwosu handed over the party’s leadership, preceded the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of July 29, 2025, which formally produced Mark and Aregbesola as the party’s national chairman and national secretary, respectively, under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court declared that the duo’s emergence complied with the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026.

Justice Liman subsequently awarded costs of N2 million each in favour of the defendants against Abejide. He also ordered Abejide’s counsel to pay N10 million as costs pursuant to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.

Abejide had, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025 and filed on February 15, sued the ADC, Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola and INEC, seeking to nullify the July 2, 2025, handover of the party’s leadership.

Among other reliefs, the lawmaker sought an order restraining Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s national chairman and national secretary and an injunction stopping INEC from recognising them as ADC leadership, arguing that their emergence did not comply with the party’s constitution and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

THE ruling may have settled the dispute over the ADC’s leadership, but Mark said its implications stretch well beyond the party.

According to the party chairman, the judgment reinforces the right of political parties to operate without interference, reaffirms the independence of the judiciary and strengthens confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.

Mark made the remarks in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, who described the judgment as another milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey and reaffirmed the ADC’s commitment to constitutional governance.

“This is not just a victory for our party; it is a victory for democracy, justice and every Nigerian who believes in a vibrant political system where ideas compete freely and the will of the people ultimately prevails,” Mark said.

He said the judgment vindicated the ADC’s longstanding belief in multi-party democracy, the rule of law and the constitutional right of Nigerians to freely associate and participate in the political process.

REACTING to the ruling, Atiku, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described the decision as a victory not merely for the party but for constitutional democracy and the rule of law.

According to him, the court’s decision reaffirmed the settled legal principle that political parties are governed by their constitutions and that internal disputes must first be resolved through the mechanisms provided therein.

“The court could not have been clearer. It rightly held that the matter borders on the internal affairs of the ADC, that the Federal High Court lacks jurisdiction, and that the plaintiffs neither exhausted the internal remedies provided by the party’s constitution nor established the locus standi required to invoke the jurisdiction of the court,” the statement reads.

The former Vice President commended Justice Liman for refusing to allow the judiciary to be converted into an extension of partisan political warfare, describing the ruling as a reminder that “while political desperation may cast temporary shadows over our democracy, truth and justice will ultimately prevail.”