The Federal High Court in Abuja has summoned the Senator David Mark-led interim leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to appear before it on September 15, in a case challenging their recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling delivered on September 4, refused an ex parte application filed by former ADC Deputy National Chairman Nafiu Gombe, who is also laying claim to the party’s leadership. Gombe had sought an interim injunction restraining INEC from recognising Mark’s faction as the party’s executives.
Instead, Justice Nwite ordered that the defendants—including the ADC, Mark, former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola (Interim National Secretary), INEC, and former ADC chairman Ralph Nwosu—be put on notice and directed them to appear in court to show cause why the request should not be granted.
Multiple Suits, Growing Crisis
The case is one of several legal battles sparked by INEC’s recognition of Mark’s faction following the July 2025 unveiling of a new ADC coalition platform backed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 polls.
In a separate suit, ADC members Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila are contesting the legitimacy of the interim leadership, arguing that the party’s 2018 constitution does not recognise interim positions. They also contend that the move violated a December 2022 judgment by Justice Binta Nyako, which set clear conditions for dissolving or replacing the ADC’s National Executive Committee.
Party Response
Meanwhile, ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi dismissed reports that the court had restrained Mark and Aregbesola, describing them as fake news.
He clarified that the ruling simply refused Gombe’s ex parte request and ordered all parties to appear on September 15, stressing that “political jobbers” were misrepresenting the court’s decision after failing to stop INEC’s recognition of the new leadership.
Abdullahi urged the public and the media to remain vigilant against misinformation aimed at destabilising the opposition.
