The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the leadership of Senator David Mark over the African Democratic Congress, the ADC, dismissing a legal challenge that had sought to unseat the party's top officials. The ruling settles, at least at this stage, one of the disputes that had trailed the leadership of the opposition platform.
The suit had been filed by Representative Leke Abejide, who challenged the positions of David Mark as national chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary of the party. The plaintiff had asked the court to intervene in the arrangement under which the current leadership emerged.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Musa Liman held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter, describing it as bordering on the internal affairs of the ADC. He noted that such internal party questions are not, as a rule, matters for the courts to determine.
The judge further ruled that the plaintiffs had failed to exhaust the internal dispute resolution mechanisms provided for in the party's own constitution before approaching the court. On that basis, the suit was found to lack merit and was dismissed.
In addition to throwing out the case, the court imposed a fine on the plaintiff for pursuing what it characterised as a meritless action. The decision effectively upholds the legality of the leadership currently steering the affairs of the party.
Reacting to the outcome, the ADC leader and presidential figure Atiku Abubakar welcomed the ruling, presenting it as a victory not only for the party but for constitutional democracy and the rule of law. He argued that political parties are governed by their constitutions and that internal disputes should first be resolved through the channels those documents provide.
The judgment comes as the ADC seeks to position itself as a leading opposition coalition ahead of Nigeria's next general elections. The affirmation of its leadership is likely to shape the party's internal cohesion, even as the wider legal and political contests surrounding the platform continue to unfold.