Court Affirms David Mark-Led ADC Leadership, Dismisses Legal Challenge

Court Affirms David Mark-Led ADC Leadership, Dismisses Legal Challenge

The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark, dismissing a suit that challenged the party's current leadership structure.

The suit was filed by Leke Abejide, a member of the House of Representatives, who asked the court to nullify the emergence of David Mark as the party's National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary. Abejide argued that the leadership transition violated the party's constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

Delivering judgment, Justice Musa Liman ruled that the matter concerned the internal affairs of a political party and therefore fell outside the jurisdiction of the court. The judge also held that the plaintiff failed to establish that his legal rights had been violated and had not exhausted the party's internal dispute resolution process before approaching the court.

The court further held that the process which produced David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as the party's leaders complied with the ADC constitution and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act. It consequently dismissed the suit and awarded costs against the plaintiff and his counsel.

The ruling is seen as a significant legal victory for the ADC leadership ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections. It is also expected to strengthen the party's internal stability after months of leadership disputes and court proceedings over the legitimacy of its current executives.