By KatsinaTimes | Abuja, April 10, 2026
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed April 13 for judgment in a suit filed by a member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, seeking the removal of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), respectively.
Justice Musa Liman fixed the date on Friday after counsel to the plaintiff, Ibrahim Idris (SAN), and lawyers representing the defendants adopted their written processes and presented arguments for and against the suit.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abejide, who was elected on the platform of the ADC, instituted the case challenging the party’s leadership structure.
In the originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025 and filed on February 15, 2026, Abejide sued the ADC, its former national chairman Ralph Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.
He is seeking, among other reliefs, a declaration nullifying the alleged handover of the party’s leadership by Nwosu to Mark and Aregbesola on July 2, 2025, at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja, describing it as unlawful, illegal, and void.
The lawmaker also prayed the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s leaders, arguing that their purported appointment or election did not comply with legal requirements.
He further urged the court to restrain INEC from recognising the duo as interim national chairman and secretary of the ADC, citing provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
However, the defendants, through their respective counsel, urged the court to dismiss the suit for lacking merit.
The ADC, Nwosu, Mark, and Aregbesola argued that Abejide lacked the locus standi to institute the suit, insisting that the matter concerns the internal affairs of a political party, which they said is not justiciable.
They further contended that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the case.
The defendants also maintained that, contrary to the plaintiff’s claims, the leadership of the party under Mark emerged from a National Executive Committee meeting held on July 29, 2025, and not July 2, 2025.
They argued that Abejide failed to establish a reasonable cause of action and described the suit as academic, urging the court to dismiss it with substantial costs.
Counsel to INEC, Anthony Onyeri, also asked the court to dismiss the suit, noting that the commission filed a counter affidavit in opposition to the claims.
Justice Liman is expected to deliver judgment on April 13.
