Three disgruntled members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to nullify the party’s interim leadership headed by former Senate President David Mark.
The plaintiffs – Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila – are contesting the legality of Mark’s appointment as interim national chairman along with other key leaders.
The suit names ADC as first defendant, with INEC and former ADC chairman Ralph Nwosu as second and third defendants respectively. Senator Mark, former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola (interim national secretary), and ex-Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi (interim publicity secretary) are listed as fourth to sixth defendants.
The plaintiffs raised seven critical legal questions challenging:
1) Whether the interim appointments violate ADC’s 2018 constitution
2) The defendants’ eligibility for leadership given party membership rules
3) The constitutional provision for interim leadership positions
4) The proper procedure for dissolving the party’s executive committee
The case references a December 2022 judgment by Justice Binta Nyako which the plaintiffs claim the new leadership arrangement violates. They seek a declaration that the interim appointments are “unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void.”
This legal challenge comes amid ADC’s transformation into the main opposition platform for a coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to challenge President Tinubu in 2027. Nwosu had earlier dissolved all party structures to accommodate the coalition, a move now being contested in court.
No hearing date has been set for the case which threatens to disrupt opposition plans just two years before the next general elections. Political analysts suggest the lawsuit could expose divisions within the fledgling coalition even before it fully takes shape.
The court’s decision may determine whether ADC can legally serve as the vehicle for the proposed opposition merger or if the party will need to reconstitute its leadership through proper constitutional channels.
