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The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Senator David Mark, declaring illegal the caretaker committee that oversaw the party’s affairs.
The judgment also invalidated all actions taken by the committee, including the process that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Thursday while ruling on a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC from the North-East.
Gombe had challenged the process through which Mark and other party leaders assumed control of the ADC following the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
He argued that, following Nwosu’s resignation, he was constitutionally qualified to assume the party’s leadership. He therefore asked the court to nullify decisions and actions taken by the Mark-led leadership.
The plaintiff also sought an order restraining Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
He maintained that their emergence violated the ADC constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.
The defendants in the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, included the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu.
The court upheld Gombe’s claims and granted the reliefs he sought, effectively invalidating the authority of the Mark-led caretaker committee and its decisions.
The ruling casts uncertainty over the party’s preparations for the 2027 presidential election, particularly Atiku’s emergence as its presidential candidate.
Atiku, whose name had earlier been published by INEC as the ADC candidate for the election, had picked former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
The ADC has, however, rejected the judgment and vowed to challenge it at the Court of Appeal.
The party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the suit as an interested party, said the party would appeal the decision.
The judgment came barely 24 hours after Atiku held a campaign rally in Sokoto State as part of his political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
