The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark and invalidated the presidential ticket of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, who declared that the Mark-led Caretaker Committee, which conducted the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its candidate, was illegally constituted.
The court also ordered the removal of all national officers of the party, including former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, who serves as the National Secretary.
In addition, the judge nullified the candidacies of all politicians presented by the ADC to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general elections.
Justice Lifu further directed INEC not to recognise decisions taken at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on July 27, 2025.
The suit was instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC in the North-East, who challenged the process through which David Mark and other members assumed control of the party.
Gombe filed the case against the ADC, INEC, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
The judgement, if upheld by higher courts, could prevent the ADC from presenting candidates for the 2027 general elections, potentially affecting the party’s participation in the presidential, governorship and legislative contests.
However, the ruling is expected to be challenged at the appellate courts, with the possibility of the dispute eventually reaching the Supreme Court for a final determination.
The latest development follows an earlier Supreme Court intervention in April, when the apex court restored the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC through an interim decision.
At the time, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court directed the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the case originated, to conclude proceedings on the leadership dispute.
The Supreme Court’s earlier decision did not amount to a final determination of the substantive issues in the case, leaving the Federal High Court to deliver its judgement.
The latest ruling has therefore opened another chapter in the ADC leadership crisis, with its implications for Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition and the party’s participation in the 2027 elections likely to depend on the outcome of any appeal.
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