The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, has affirmed the leadership of former Senate President David Mark and the National Working Committee, NWC, under him, as the authentic leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

The presiding Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Musa Liman, in his judgment, dismissed the suit filed by Leke Abejide, member, House of Representatives, for lacking merit.

Justice Liman admitted the preliminary objections raised by the ADC, the party's former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu; incumbent National Chairman, David Mark, and the National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola.

Justice Liman said the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter because it bordered on the internal affairs of a political party, which is non-justiciable.

The Judge further said that Abejide lacked the locus standi to initiate the suit, having failed to demonstrate how his rights were violated by the emergence of the current ADC leadership. He added that Abejide did not exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism before approaching the court.

The court also resolved all the issues in the substantive suit in favour of the defendants.

Justice Liman held that the transfer of leadership by Nwosu did not contravene the ADC constitution.

He ruled that the July 2, 2025 stakeholders’ meeting, at which Nwosu handed over the party’s leadership, preceded the National Executive Committee meeting of July 29, 2025, which formally produced Mark and Aregbesola as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively, under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court maintained that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola complied with the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026.

Justice Liman, thereafter, awarded costs of ₦2 million each in favour of the defendants against Abejide.

The Judge further ordered Counsel to Abejide to pay ₦10 million in costs pursuant to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.

Abejide sued the ADC, Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, demanding nullification of the July 2, 2025 handover of the party’s leadership.