Nigeria’s Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday voided the leadership of the African Democratic Congress led by former Senate President David Mark and invalidated all decisions taken by the party under its leadership, including the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, in his judgment in suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, declared the Mark-led Caretaker Committee illegal, nullifying the process through which it conducted the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its flag bearer.
The court also nullified the emergence of former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary, as well as the appointments of other national officers and the nominations of candidates presented by the party for the 2027 elections.
The suit was instituted by former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
Gombe contended that following the resignation of the former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to take over the party’s leadership.
Consequently, he asked the court to invalidate the actions of the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as National Chairman and National Secretary of the party, respectively.
The suit listed ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu as defendants.
While upholding Gombe’s contention, Justice Lifu held that the emergence of the Mark-led leadership violated the ADC constitution, relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
He also ordered INEC not to recognise or act on decisions taken at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
Speaking with journalists after the judgment, counsel for Gombe, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), said the court had nullified all actions taken by the Mark-led leadership since July 2025 and directed INEC not to act on decisions taken at the party’s 99th NEC meeting.
He said: “The implication of what we have gotten today is that the court, having reviewed the entire facts of the case, having reviewed the clear position of the law, party’s guidelines, party’s constitution, provisions of the Electoral Act and the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, finds as a fact that they did not emerge through lawful constitutional means and that there were flagrant breaches of all the relevant provisions that we have stated.
“The implication is that INEC, which has the duty to ensure that happens in line with Section 223 of the Constitution, has now been ordered not to recognise and not to act on all the decisions taken at the 99th NEC meeting of the party on July 27, 2025.
“All the actions taken by the ADC as a party since July 27 to date stand annulled.”
However, the party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the suit as an interested party, reportedly said the ADC would appeal the judgment.
The ruling came barely 24 hours after Atiku, whose name had earlier been published by INEC as a presidential candidate, commenced his campaign with a rally in Sokoto State.