Court Adjourns Suit Challenging David Mark-Led ADC Leadership to September 28

The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until September 28 the hearing of a suit seeking to stop the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) from parading themselves as leaders of the party.

The suit was filed by an aggrieved ADC member, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, who is challenging the emergence of Mark, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and other members of the party’s interim National Working Committee (NWC).

The case was scheduled for hearing of all pending applications on Monday but could not proceed because the presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, did not sit.

The matter was consequently adjourned to September 28.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Lifu had earlier fixed June 16 for the hearing of the pending applications after dismissing applications filed by the ADC and Aregbesola seeking his recusal from the case.

The judge had ruled that the applications lacked merit and awarded N1 million each against the ADC and Aregbesola in favour of Gombe.

Both the ADC and Aregbesola had separately asked the judge to withdraw from the case, alleging that he was biased in handling the matter.

However, Gombe is asking the court to restrain Mark, Aregbesola and members of their interim NWC from presenting themselves as the leaders of the ADC.

He argued that their emergence violated provisions of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, has the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Ralph Nwosu listed as the first to fifth defendants respectively.

Nwosu, the former National Chairman of the ADC, stepped down from the position before the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.

The latest adjournment means the legal challenge to the leadership structure of the ADC will remain before the Federal High Court as the party prepares for the 2027 general election.