A Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress under former Senate President David Mark, dismissing a suit brought by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide that sought to overturn it. In Thursday’s ruling, Justice Musa Liman held that the court lacked jurisdiction to intervene, describing the matter as an internal party affair that Abejide should have first pursued through the ADC’s own dispute resolution process. The court also ordered Abejide to pay two million naira each to the defendants and fined his legal counsel ten million naira under the Electoral Act.
The case dates back to a leadership handover in July last year, when former ADC chairman Ralph Nwosu stepped aside for David Mark, with Rauf Aregbesola, the former Osun State governor, becoming national secretary. Abejide had argued that the transition breached the party’s constitution, but the judge found the process was properly conducted and monitored by the electoral commission.
Reacting to the judgment, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC’s presidential candidate, described it as a victory for constitutional democracy, commending Justice Liman for what he called a principled refusal to let the judiciary be dragged into partisan battles. Atiku alleged that political opponents had used the courts to try to destabilise the opposition, but cautioned party members against complacency, calling instead for continued unity as the ADC positions itself as an alternative ahead of future elections.
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