A bid by the member representing Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopa-Muro Federal Constituency of Kogi State, Leke Abejide, to nullify the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark suffered a setback on Thursday as the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed his suit for lacking merit.
Justice Musa Liman held that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter because it bordered on the internal affairs of a political party, which are generally not justiciable.
The judge further ruled that Abejide lacked the legal standing to institute the suit, having failed to demonstrate how his legal rights were violated by the emergence of the current ADC leadership. He also held that the lawmaker failed to exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism before approaching the court.
Abejide had, in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025 filed on February 15, sued the ADC, its former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, David Mark, the party’s National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He sought an order nullifying the July 2, 2025 handover of the party’s leadership by Nwosu, contending that the exercise violated the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act. He also prayed the court to restrain Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary and to stop INEC from recognising them as the party’s leaders.
However, Justice Liman dismissed the claims and upheld the preliminary objections raised by the defendants.
The court held that Nwosu’s transfer of leadership did not contravene the ADC constitution, noting that the July 2, 2025 stakeholders’ meeting preceded the National Executive Committee meeting of July 29, 2025, which formally produced Mark and Aregbesola under the supervision of INEC.
According to the court, the emergence of the duo complied with both the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026.
Justice Liman consequently resolved all the issues raised in the substantive suit in favour of the defendants.
The court also awarded costs of ₦2 million each against Abejide in favour of the defendants and directed his counsel to pay an additional ₦10 million as costs pursuant to the Electoral Act, 2026.
