JUST IN: Court dismisses Abejide’s suit, upholds David Mark as ADC National Chairman

The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Senator David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), dismissing a suit filed by Representative Leke Abejide challenging the party’s leadership.

Justice Musa Liman, in a judgment delivered on Thursday, upheld the preliminary objections filed by the ADC, former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, David Mark and the party’s National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, ruling that the suit lacked merit.

The court held that it lacked jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of a political party and found that Abejide failed to establish that his rights were violated by the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.

Justice Liman further ruled that the handover of the party’s leadership from Nwosu to Mark did not contravene the ADC Constitution.

According to the court, the stakeholders’ meeting held on July 2, 2025, was followed by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on July 29, 2025, which validly produced David Mark as National Chairman and Aregbesola as National Secretary.

The judge declared that the emergence of both leaders complied with the ADC Constitution, the Electoral Act and other relevant legal provisions.

The court also awarded ₦2 million each in costs to all the defendants, to be paid by Abejide.

In addition, Justice Liman awarded ₦10 million in costs against Abejide’s counsel in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Abejide had asked the court to nullify the leadership handover to Mark and Aregbesola and restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising them.