ADC Crisis: Court Adjourns Suit Against David Mark leadership

The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until September 28 the hearing of a suit challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, led by former Senate President David Mark.

Justice Peter Lifu was expected to hear pending applications in the case on Monday, September 14, 2026. However, the proceedings could not take place because the judge did not sit.

The suit, filed by an ADC member, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, is seeking an order to prevent Mark, the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, and other members of the interim National Working Committee from presenting themselves as the legitimate leaders of the party.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, was therefore moved to September 28 for further proceedings.

The matter had earlier been fixed for the hearing of outstanding applications after Justice Lifu rejected requests by the ADC and Aregbesola asking him to withdraw from the case.

The defendants had sought the judge’s recusal over allegations that he could not handle the matter without bias. Justice Lifu, however, ruled that the applications were without merit.

Following the decision, the court ordered both the ADC and Aregbesola to pay N1 million each as costs to Gombe.

In the main case, Gombe is challenging the process through which Mark, Aregbesola and other members of the interim National Working Committee emerged as leaders of the party.

He argued that their emergence did not comply with the provisions of the ADC constitution and relevant sections of the Electoral Act.

The claimant consequently joined the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the former National Chairman of the party, Ralph Nwosu, as defendants in the case.

The latest adjournment means the court will now consider the pending applications and other issues in the suit when proceedings resume on September 28.