The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed its ruling in a suit challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), involving former Senate President, David Mark, and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
The case, instituted by Kogi lawmaker Leke Abejide, seeks to prevent the duo from acting as the party’s National Chairman and Secretary.
Justice Musa Suleiman Liman, who was expected to deliver judgment on Monday, shifted the date to April 14 due to official engagements. The adjournment was announced by a court registrar to lawyers, journalists, and political stakeholders who had assembled for the ruling.
Following the announcement, supporters of both factions exited the courtroom.
The court had earlier fixed April 13 for judgment after parties in the case adopted their final written submissions.
Abejide, through his counsel Ibrahim Idris (SAN), is contesting the legality of the alleged transfer of the party’s leadership to Mark and Aregbesola. In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, filed on February 15, 2026, he listed the ADC, its former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.
The plaintiff is asking the court to nullify what he described as an unlawful handover of leadership said to have occurred on July 2, 2025, in Abuja. He also seeks an order restraining Mark and Aregbesola from presenting themselves as party leaders, as well as preventing INEC from recognising them in those roles.
However, counsel to the defendants urged the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that Abejide lacks the legal standing to file the case. They further maintained that the matter concerns the internal affairs of a political party and is therefore not justiciable.
The defence also insisted that Mark’s leadership emerged from a National Executive Committee meeting held on July 29, 2025, not from the earlier event cited by the plaintiff, and asked the court to strike out the suit with costs.
