The Federal High Court in Abuja has set April 13 for its judgment in a suit filed by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide seeking to restrain Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as national chairman and national secretary of the African Democratic Congress, or ADC. Justice Musa Liman fixed the date on Friday after all parties in the case adopted their final written arguments and presented their submissions for and against the suit.
The lawmaker, who represents the ADC, had filed the originating summons on February 15 through his senior advocate, Ibrahim Idris. In the suit, he named the ADC, its former national chairman Ralph Nwosu, Senator Mark, Mr. Aregbesola, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, as the first to fifth defendants respectively. The case centers on the leadership transition within the political party, which has sparked significant internal dispute.
Among his eight reliefs, Abejide seeks an order nullifying the handover of the party’s leadership from Nwosu to Mark and Aregbesola. He argues that the transfer of power, which allegedly took place on July 2, 2025, at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre in Abuja, was illegal, unlawful, and therefore null and void. The plaintiff also seeks a perpetual injunction to prevent the two leaders from presenting themselves as party officials, asserting that their appointment did not follow due process.
Furthermore, the suit asks the court to issue an order restraining INEC from recognizing Mark and Aregbesola in their capacities. Abejide contends that their selection failed to meet the mandatory requirements outlined in Section 82 of the Electoral Act of 2022, raising questions about the legality of the party’s internal proceedings.
All defendants, however, have united in urging the court to dismiss the suit for lacking merit. Represented by a team of senior advocates, they argued that Abejide does not possess the legal standing to institute the case. They maintained that the subject matter concerns the internal affairs of a political party, which is a non-justiciable issue beyond the court’s jurisdiction. The defence also clarified that, contrary to the plaintiff’s claim, the current leadership was elected during the party’s National Executive Committee meeting on July 29, 2025, and not on the earlier date cited.
In addition, the defendants described the suit as academic and asked the court to dismiss it with a substantial cost as permitted by the Electoral Act. INEC, through its counsel Anthony Onyeri, aligned with this position and also prayed for the suit to be dismissed, supporting its argument with a counter affidavit and an exhibit. The court’s upcoming ruling on April 13 is therefore highly anticipated, as it will determine the legitimacy of the ADC’s current leadership and set a significant precedent for internal party governance in Nigeria.
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