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The High Court in Abuja has invalidated the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark, nullifying decisions the party made during his tenure, including the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
In his ruling on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu declared the Mark-led Caretaker Committee illegal, ruling that it lacked the authority to conduct the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its candidate, according to Punch.
The court also voided the appointment of former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, the emergence of other national officers and the nominations of candidates presented by the party for the 2027 elections.
The judgment followed a suit filed by former ADC Deputy National Chairman for the North-East, Nafiu Bala Gombe, under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025. He challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee took control of the party.
Gombe argued that the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu entitled him to assume the party’s leadership in accordance with the ADC constitution.
He asked the court to invalidate decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership and prevent Mark and Aregbesola from presenting themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary.
The ADC, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu were listed as defendants in the case.
Upholding the plaintiff’s arguments, Justice Lifu ruled that the emergence of the Mark-led leadership breached the ADC constitution, the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
He also directed INEC not to recognise or act on resolutions reached at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
Gombe’s counsel, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), said the ruling invalidated all actions taken by the ADC from July 27, 2025, to date.
“All the actions taken by the ADC as a party since July 27 to date stand annulled.”
Another lawyer representing the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), said the decision effectively left the party without candidates for the 2027 presidential, governorship, senatorial and House of Assembly elections.
However, ADC National Welfare Secretary Nkemakolam Ukandu, who joined the case as an interested party, said the party would challenge the judgment on appeal.
The ruling came a day after Atiku, whose name had earlier appeared on INEC’s published list of presidential candidates, held a campaign rally in Sokoto State.
