A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Senator David Mark and his leadership team from the helm of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), declaring their caretaker committee illegal and nullifying all decisions taken under their authority.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled in favour of Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the party for the North-East, who challenged the process through which the Mark-led group assumed control of the ADC.
The court also invalidated actions taken by the committee, including the organisation of the party’s presidential primary that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Gombe had argued that following the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to assume leadership of the party. He further challenged the positions occupied by Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and Secretary, respectively.
In his suit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, he asked the court to nullify the decisions of the disputed leadership and restrain the two officials from parading themselves as party executives.
The defendants included the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu.
The ruling represents a major setback for the party’s leadership structure ahead of Nigeria’s January 16, 2027 presidential election, particularly as Atiku’s nomination and the selection of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate are also affected by the decision.
However, the ADC is preparing to challenge the judgment.
The party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the case as an interested party, confirmed that an appeal would be filed at the appellate court.
