A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark, declaring the caretaker committee illegal and invalidating all its decisions, including the nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Justice Peter Lifu upheld a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the party. Gombe had challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the ADC after the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu.
The court granted the reliefs sought by Gombe, effectively sacking Mark as National Chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary. It also nullified the process through which the ADC conducted its presidential primary that produced Atiku as its flag bearer.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu as defendants.
Abubakar had subsequently selected former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate ahead of the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027. INEC had earlier published Atiku’s name as the ADC candidate.
The ruling is the latest development in a prolonged leadership crisis within the ADC that began after Nwosu handed over the party’s leadership to Mark and Aregbesola in July 2025 during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja.
Reacting to the judgment, ADC National Welfare Secretary Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the suit as an interested party, said the party would appeal the ruling.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), said after the ruling: “All the actions taken by the ADC as a party since July 27 to date stand annulled.”
