Court Asked to Sack Senator David Mark-Led Interim Leadership of ADC

Three aggrieved members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the removal of the party’s interim leadership headed by Senator David Mark. The plaintiffs — Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila — are also challenging the legitimacy of Senator Mark and others appointed as interim executives of the party, arguing that their selection violates the ADC’s constitution and an existing court judgment.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1328, the ADC is listed as the first defendant, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and immediate past National Chairman Raph Nwosu are the second and third defendants. Senator Mark, who was recently named Interim National Chairman, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (Interim National Secretary), and ex-Minister of Sports Bolaji Abdullahi (Interim National Publicity Secretary) are the fourth, fifth, and sixth defendants respectively.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether the appointments of Mark, Aregbesola, and Abdullahi breach the ADC Constitution (2018, as amended). They also question whether the party’s constitution allows for interim positions such as Interim Chairman and Secretary, especially in the absence of a formal national convention or a valid decision by the National Executive Committee (NEC).

Furthermore, the suit challenges the legality of Nwosu’s handover of party leadership to the interim executives, alleging that it contradicts a judgment delivered by Justice Binta Nyako in December 2022. The plaintiffs argue that the individuals appointed lack the proper qualifications and membership status to hold leadership positions, and that their appointments are unconstitutional, unlawful, and void.

They have also urged the court to declare the appointments inconsistent with the ADC constitution and to invalidate the interim leadership structure entirely. No hearing date has been fixed yet.

This legal battle follows the announcement of a coalition, reportedly supported by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, adopting the ADC as a platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. In response, the ADC’s founding National Chairman, Nwosu, had declared the dissolution of the party’s existing structure to allow new leadership to drive the coalition ahead of the next general election.