A Federal High Court in Abuja has invalidated the Senator David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a decision that could put former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential candidacy in jeopardy.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, the court ruled in favour of Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC National Deputy Chairman (North-East), who challenged the process through which the Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party.
The ruling declared the Mark-led caretaker committee illegal and invalidated actions taken by the leadership on behalf of the ADC, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The judgment represents a fresh setback for the ADC amid an extended leadership dispute, with the party already facing earlier court orders concerning the authority of the Mark-led faction to organise state congresses.
Why the court ruled against the Mark-led leadership
Gombe approached the Federal High Court in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, questioning the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership.
He argued that following the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, he was entitled to assume the party’s leadership as the next-ranking official.
The plaintiff asked the court to nullify actions taken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from presenting themselves as the party’s national chairman and national secretary, respectively.
The ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu were listed as defendants.
Justice Lifu upheld Gombe’s claims and granted the reliefs sought, according to the report of the proceedings.
ADC vows to challenge the judgment
The ADC has indicated that it will appeal the ruling.
The party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the case as an interested party, said the judgment would be challenged at the appellate court.
The development comes as Atiku has begun activities linked to his 2027 presidential campaign. The former vice-president recently held a rally in Sokoto State, according to the report.
Atiku had also selected former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
Earlier court decisions had weakened Mark-led leadership
Thursday’s judgment follows an earlier legal setback for the Mark-led ADC leadership.
About two months earlier, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld an order restraining INEC from recognising or participating in state congresses organised by committees appointed by the Mark-led caretaker leadership.
In a majority decision, a three-member panel led by Justice Okon Abang dismissed the ADC’s appeal against the Federal High Court order issued on April 29, 2026.
The appellate court upheld the order of Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, which restrained the Mark-led leadership from interfering with the tenure and functions of the party’s elected state executives.
The majority held that responsibility for organising state congresses rested with elected state executive committees rather than committees appointed by the national caretaker leadership.
Justice Abba Mohammed dissented, arguing that the dispute concerned the internal affairs of a political party and was not justiciable.
In the majority judgment, the appellate court said judicial intervention was necessary to “prevent anarchy and ensure the survival of democracy in Nigeria.”
Justice Abang also stated: “Once a complaint before the court is anchored on a constitutional infraction, the shield of internal affairs drops and the veil is lifted for judicial intervention.”
The court dismissed the appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/608/2026, and awarded N10 million in costs against the ADC.
Dispute centres on state executives and party congresses
The earlier dispute arose after aggrieved ADC members challenged the Mark-led leadership’s decision to appoint committees to organise state congresses in April 2026.
The plaintiffs, who said they were acting for themselves and on behalf of state chairmen and executive committees, argued that only duly elected party structures had the authority to conduct the congresses.
In its April 29, 2026 judgment, the Federal High Court held that the tenure of the ADC’s state working committees and state executive committees remained valid.
Justice Abdulmalik ruled that neither the 1999 Constitution, as amended, nor the ADC constitution authorised the caretaker leadership to appoint committees to conduct state congresses.
She also held that the party’s elected state structures should be allowed to complete their tenure, pending properly constituted congresses and a national convention.
The court rejected the defendants’ preliminary objection challenging its jurisdiction and the plaintiffs’ legal standing.
The latest ruling deepens the uncertainty surrounding the ADC’s leadership and the validity of decisions taken under the Mark-led caretaker structure.
For Atiku, the central question is whether the party can successfully challenge the judgment and establish a legally recognised leadership structure capable of sustaining its 2027 nomination.
