Rep. Leke Abejide's lawsuit against Sen. David Mark and former governor Rauf Aregbesola was postponed by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The judgment, originally set for Monday, has been adjourned to 14 April because Justice Musa Liman was engaged elsewhere.
Abejide, an ADC member of the House of Representatives, filed the suit on 15 February 2026 (originating summons FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025). He named the African Democratic Congress, its former national chairman Ralph Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola and INEC as the first to fifth defendants. The plaintiff seeks a perpetual injunction nullifying the handover of ADC leadership to Mark and Aregbesola on 2 July 2025 and restraining them, as well as INEC, from recognising the appointments, which he describes as "unlawful, illegal, null and void" and not complying with Section 82 of the Electoral Act 2022.
The defence, led by SAN Shaibu Aruwa for the ADC and SAN Ibrahim Idris for the plaintiff, argued that the case concerns internal party affairs and is non‑justiciable. They also contended that the Mark‑led leadership was elected on 29 July 2025, not 2 July, and that Abejide lacks standing.
INEC's counsel, Anthony Onyeri, submitted an eight‑paragraph counter‑affidavit (Exhibit INEC‑1) and asked for dismissal, citing Section 83(5) of the Electoral Act 2026 and labeling the matter academic.
The most striking element is the court's decision to delay a ruling on Abejide's challenge to the ADC's leadership, effectively prolonging uncertainty over who legitimately heads the party. By pushing the judgment to mid‑April, the judiciary leaves the party's internal power struggle in limbo.
The dispute pits an incumbent lawmaker against a former Senate president and a former state governor, both claiming interim positions after Ralph Nwosu stepped down. The defendants' argument that party affairs are non‑justiciable clashes with Abejide's claim that the July 2025 handover violated the Electoral Act. This legal tug‑of‑war reflects broader tensions within Nigeria's party system, where leadership transitions often spark courtroom battles.
For ordinary Nigerians, especially ADC supporters and voters in upcoming elections, the outcome will determine which candidates appear on ballots under the party's banner. If the injunction is granted, Mark and Aregbesola could be barred from representing the ADC, reshaping the party's electoral prospects in key constituencies.
The case also signals a growing pattern of political actors turning to the courts to settle intra‑party disputes, a trend that may encourage more litigants to seek judicial intervention rather than internal reconciliation, potentially crowding the legal system with partisan battles.
