Court Nullifies David Mark-Led ADC Leadership, Invalidates Atiku’s 2027 Candidacy
The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark, invalidating decisions taken by the party under the leadership, including the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Justice Peter Lifu, in a judgment delivered on Thursday, declared the Mark-led Caretaker Committee illegal and nullified the process through which it conducted the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its flag bearer.
The court also invalidated the emergence of former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary, alongside the appointments of other national officers and the nominations of candidates presented by the party for the 2027 elections.
The judgment followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, instituted by former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
Why Nafiu Bala Gombe Challenged the ADC Leadership
Gombe argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to assume leadership of the ADC.
He subsequently approached the court to invalidate the actions of the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and 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 in the suit.
Upholding Gombe’s case, Justice Lifu held that the emergence of the Mark-led leadership violated the ADC constitution, relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The court further directed INEC not to recognise or act on decisions taken at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on July 27, 2025.
Court Nullifies ADC Decisions Since July 2025
Speaking with journalists after the judgment, counsel to Gombe, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), said the court had nullified all actions taken by the Mark-led leadership since July 2025 and directed INEC not to act on decisions reached at the party’s 99th NEC meeting.
Fagbemi said the court found that the leadership did not emerge through lawful constitutional procedures and that there were breaches of the relevant legal provisions.
He said, “The implication of what we have gotten today is that the court, having reviewed the entire facts of the case, having reviewed the clear position of the law, party’s guidelines, party’s constitution, provisions of the Electoral Act and the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, finds as a fact that they did not emerge through lawful constitutional means and that there were flagrant breaches of all the relevant provisions that we have stated.
“The implication is that INEC, which has the duty to ensure that happens in line with Section 223 of the Constitution, has now been ordered not to recognise and not to act on all the decisions taken at the 99th NEC meeting of the party on July 27, 2025.
“All the actions taken by the ADC as a party since July 27 to date stand annulled,” he said.
ADC Left Without 2027 Election Candidates, Lawyers Say
Another counsel to the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), said the judgment followed the determination of the substantive suit after the Supreme Court directed that the matter be returned to the Federal High Court for determination.
According to Haruna, the ruling effectively leaves the ADC without candidates for elective positions in the 2027 general elections, including the presidency, governorship, Senate and House of Assembly seats.
He said, “You will recall that the interlocutory aspect of this matter went up to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court said we should come back to the trial court so that the substantive issue would be determined.
“Today, the substantive issue has been determined, and all actions taken by the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC have been declared null and void.
“As it stands today, the ADC has no candidate from the presidential level to the House of Assembly, governorship, Senate and all other elective positions for the 2027 election. They don’t have any representation as it stands today, except you are from the camp of Nafiu Bala, who is the substantive chairman of the ADC,” Haruna said.
ADC to Appeal Judgment
Meanwhile, the party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the suit as an interested party, reportedly said the ADC would appeal the judgment.
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PulseNets learnt that the ruling came barely 24 hours after Atiku Abubakar, whose name had earlier been published by INEC as a presidential candidate, commenced his campaign with a rally in Sokoto State.
The judgment represents a major legal setback for the ADC as political parties prepare for the 2027 general elections, with the party’s leadership and candidate selection processes now subject to the court’s decision.
