Court fixes April 13 to rule on suit seeking removal of Mark, Aregbesola as ADC leaders

JUSTICE Musa Suleiman Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has scheduled April 13 to deliver judgment in a case challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The suit, filed by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide, seeks to stop Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from presenting themselves as the party’s chairman and secretary.

The date was set on Friday after counsel to the plaintiff, Ibrahim Idris (SAN), along with defence lawyers, adopted their filings and argued their respective positions before the court.

Abejide, who represents the ADC in the House, initiated the case through his lawyer. In the originating summons (FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025) filed on February 15, 2026, he listed the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.

Nwosu, the party’s former national chairman, had earlier stepped aside for Mark, a former Senate President, to assume leadership of the party.

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Among several reliefs, Abejide is asking the court to nullify the alleged transfer of leadership from Nwosu to Mark and Aregbesola as interim national chairman and secretary. He argued that the handover, said to have taken place on July 2, 2025, at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre in Abuja, was unlawful and void.

He is also seeking a perpetual injunction to stop Mark and Aregbesola from acting as party leaders, maintaining that their emergence did not follow due process. In addition, he wants INEC restrained from recognising them, citing non-compliance with Section 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

However, the defendants, including the ADC, Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola, and INEC, have urged the court to dismiss the case. Represented by various senior lawyers, they argued that Abejide lacks the legal standing to bring the suit.

They further contended that the dispute concerns the internal affairs of a political party, which courts traditionally do not adjudicate, and therefore falls outside the court’s jurisdiction.

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The defence also maintained that, contrary to Abejide’s claim, the party leadership under Mark emerged from a National Executive Committee meeting held on July 29, 2025—not July 2.

Describing the suit as lacking merit and academic in nature, the defendants asked the court to strike it out and award substantial costs against the plaintiff, in line with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026. INEC’s counsel also aligned with this position, urging the court to dismiss the case.