BY Asaye Bankole
The political future of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been thrown into uncertainty following a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja that invalidated the party’s leadership under former Senate President David Mark.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, also nullified decisions taken by the disputed leadership, including the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The court declared the Mark-led Caretaker Committee illegal, holding that the process through which the committee assumed control of the party violated the ADC constitution, the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
The judgment further affected former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, whose emergence as National Secretary was nullified alongside the appointments of other national officers.
In a development that could significantly affect the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections, the court also invalidated the nominations of all candidates presented by the ADC for various elective positions.
The legal battle originated from a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC for the North-East, who challenged the legitimacy of the caretaker leadership.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, Gombe maintained that he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership following the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
He asked the court to set aside the activities of the Mark-led leadership and prevent Mark and Aregbesola from continuing to present themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
Other defendants in the case included the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu.
Delivering its decision, the court also directed that INEC should not recognise or act on resolutions reached at the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
Speaking after the judgment, Gombe’s counsel, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), declared that the ruling had effectively invalidated the party’s activities under the disputed leadership since July 27, 2025.
Another lawyer representing the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), explained that the decision meant the ADC currently had no valid candidates for the 2027 elections across the various elective positions.
He said the development affected the presidential, governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives contests, as well as elections into state Houses of Assembly.
However, the party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who participated in the case as an interested party, announced that the ADC would appeal the judgment.
The ruling came at a politically significant moment, barely a day after Atiku Abubakar attended a campaign rally in Sokoto State.
His name had earlier been published by INEC as the ADC’s presidential candidate.
The judgment is expected to intensify the leadership crisis within the opposition party and raise fresh questions about its readiness for the 2027 general elections.
Further legal and political developments are expected as the ADC prepares to challenge the decision.
COMMENTS