The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced a major legal victory after a Federal High Court in Abuja struck out a suit challenging the party’s leadership and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the National Working Committee led by David Mark.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the judgment effectively lays to rest lingering legal disputes over the party’s leadership.
The judgment, delivered by Justice M. S. Liman in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025 between Leke Joseph Abejide and the ADC alongside four other defendants, held that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
According to the party, the court ruled that the dispute concerned the internal affairs of the ADC and therefore fell outside the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. It further held that the case was not a pre-election matter under Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution, that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the action, and that he failed to exhaust the mandatory internal dispute resolution mechanism provided under the party’s constitution.
The court consequently struck out the suit for lack of jurisdiction.
The ADC also stated that, in determining the substantive issues, the court affirmed that David Mark and other members of the party’s National Working Committee were duly elected and directed INEC to accord them official recognition as the legitimate national officers of the party.
Reacting to the judgment, the party described the ruling as another victory for multiparty democracy, insisting that its current leadership emerged in accordance with the law, the Electoral Act 2022 and the party’s constitution.
The ADC expressed hope that the judgment would end what it described as repeated attempts to destabilise the opposition through litigation.
The party argued that at a time when Nigerians are grappling with insecurity, a rising cost of living, unemployment and declining economic opportunities, opposition parties should be focused on offering practical alternatives rather than defending what it termed “contrived legal challenges.”
While celebrating the judgment, the ADC said it remained alert to what it described as anti-democratic forces seeking to undermine the opposition.
The party also commended Justice Liman for what it called his courage in delivering the judgment and praised the court’s decision to impose fines on the plaintiff and his lawyers, expressing hope that it would discourage similar actions in the future.
