The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark, invalidating all decisions taken by the party under his leadership, including the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the judgment on Thursday, declared the Mark-led Caretaker Committee illegal, ruling that the process through which it assumed control of the party violated the ADC constitution, the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
The court also nullified the emergence of former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as the party’s National Secretary, alongside the appointments of other national officers and the nominations of candidates for the 2027 elections.
The judgment followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, filed by former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee took over the party’s leadership.
Gombe argued that following the resignation of the former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to assume leadership of the party.
He subsequently asked the court to invalidate the actions of the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and Aregbesola from presenting themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
Upholding the plaintiff’s arguments, Justice Lifu also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise or act on decisions taken at the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
Speaking after the judgment, counsel to Gombe, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), said the court had nullified all actions taken by the Mark-led leadership since July 2025.
He explained that the court found that the leadership did not emerge through constitutionally recognised procedures and had violated relevant provisions of the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act and the Nigerian Constitution.
Fagbemi added that INEC had been directed not to recognise or act on decisions reached at the party’s 99th NEC meeting.
Another counsel to the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), said the judgment effectively left the ADC without candidates for elective positions in the 2027 elections, including the presidency, governorship, Senate and House of Representatives.
He explained that the substantive suit was determined following an earlier intervention by the Supreme Court, which directed that the matter be returned to the Federal High Court for hearing and determination.
Meanwhile, the party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the suit as an interested party, said the ADC would appeal the judgment.
The ruling came barely 24 hours after Atiku, whose name had earlier been published by INEC as a presidential candidate, commenced his 2027 campaign with a rally in Sokoto State.