A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sacked the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), declaring its caretaker committee illegal and nullifying all actions taken under its authority, including the nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu upheld a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the party, challenging the legality of the Mark-led leadership.
The ruling invalidates the presidential primary organised by the caretaker committee, which produced Atiku as the ADC’s flag bearer.
Atiku had earlier been listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s presidential candidate and had picked former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
Gombe had approached the court, arguing that the emergence of the Mark-led leadership violated the ADC constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.
He maintained that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to assume the leadership by virtue of his position as National Deputy Chairman (North-East).
The plaintiff consequently asked the court to nullify all actions taken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, from parading themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, INEC, Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu as defendants.
The leadership dispute had earlier gone before the Supreme Court, which, on April 30, 2026, set aside an order of the Court of Appeal directing parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum and ordered an expeditious hearing of the substantive case by the Federal High Court.
In July 2026, Justice Lifu dismissed objections by Mark and Aregbesola to Gombe’s application to amend his claims and imposed a N500,000 fine on the two defendants.
Thursday’s judgment invalidates the leadership structure that organised the ADC presidential primary, throwing the party’s 2027 presidential ticket into fresh uncertainty.
