The Federal High Court in Abuja has invalidated the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, caretaker committee led by former Senate President, Senator David Mark, declaring its activities since July 27, 2026, illegal.
DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS reports that the ruling, delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, also affects the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The court held that the Mark-led caretaker committee lacked the legal authority to run the affairs of the party and consequently declared invalid the actions it had taken since assuming control of the ADC
Among the decisions affected is the committee’s organisation of the party’s presidential primary, which produced Atiku as its flag bearer.
The judgement followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC (North-East), who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed leadership of the party.
Gombe argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to take over the leadership as the next-ranking party official.
He consequently approached the court seeking, among other reliefs, an order nullifying the actions taken by the Mark-led leadership on behalf of the ADC.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Nwosu as defendants.
The ruling represents a major setback for the ADC’s leadership structure and raises questions about the validity of the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections, particularly Atiku’s candidacy.
