A Federal High Court has nullified the leadership structure of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark, throwing the party’s 2027 presidential election preparations into uncertainty.
The latest Mark-led ADC leadership crisis stemmed from a judgment, delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, that declared the Caretaker Committee, which organised the party’s primary election, illegal.
The ruling also affects the committee’s decisions and actions, including the process that selected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku, whose name had earlier been published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a presidential candidate, had selected former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
The court’s decision followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the ADC, who challenged the process through which the Mark-led committee assumed control of the party.
Gombe had argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to assume the leadership of the ADC.
He consequently approached the court to challenge the emergence of the Mark-led leadership and sought the nullification of all actions taken by the committee on behalf of the party.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, the plaintiff listed the ADC, INEC, Senator David Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Chief Ralph Nwosu as defendants.
Gombe also asked the court to restrain Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
He maintained that their emergence violated the ADC constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
Justice Lifu upheld the plaintiff’s case and granted the reliefs sought, a development that could trigger further political and legal battles within the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027.
However, the ADC has vowed to challenge the judgment at the appellate court.
Reacting to the ruling, the party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was subsequently joined as an interested party in the case, said the judgment would be appealed.
The development raises fresh questions about the ADC’s leadership, the validity of decisions taken under the Mark-led committee and the implications for Atiku’s presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
