… court sacks David Mark-led ADC leadership, voids Atiku’s presidential primary
The battle for the leadership of the African Democratic Party hit another climax on Thursday when tederal High Court in Abuja nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Sen. David Mark.
With the development, an old member of the party, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, has floored the new leadership that produced Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate.
Justice Peter Lifu, in a judgment, invalidated all decisions taken by the party under the Mark-led leadership.
Justice Lifu declared as illegal the Mark-led Caretaker Committee, which conducted the primary election that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 presidential election.
The judge ruled in favour of former ADC National Deputy Chairman, North-East, Gombe, who challenged the process through which the Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gombe had, in the suit, argued that following the resignation of former National Chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to take over the party’s leadership.
He consequently asked the court to invalidate all actions taken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the National Secretary, and other members of their caretaker committee, from parading themselves as valid leaders of the party.
The plaintiff maintained that their emergence violated the ADC constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Lifu upheld Gombe’s claims and granted the reliefs sought.
Reacting to the judgment, the ADC National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the suit as an interested party, said the party would appeal the ruling.
