Court voids David Mark-led ADC leadership, orders INEC to recognise Gombe
- Justice Peter Lifu nullified the ADC National Working Committee led by Senator David Mark and set aside its decisions.
- The court ordered INEC to recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe as the party's only recognised NEC member.
- The ruling throws up questions about activities under the disputed leadership, including congresses and primaries.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the African Democratic Congress (ADC) leadership structure that brought Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola into the party's top offices.
Justice Peter Lifu, in a judgment delivered on November 5, 2026, held that the process that produced the National Working Committee (NWC) did not comply with the party's constitution and the Electoral Act. The court set aside the meetings, decisions and resolutions taken by that NWC, including those touching on congresses and primary elections.
The judge also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe as the ADC's only recognised member of its National Executive Committee (NEC), and held that Mark and Aregbesola had no right to keep presenting themselves as members of the party under the disputed arrangement.
Why it matters beyond the party
The ruling reaches into the 2027 election season. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is seeking the ADC's presidential ticket, and the judgment raises questions about the status of candidates and party activities carried out under the disputed structure. It does not by itself name or disqualify any candidate.
The case began with a suit filed on September 2, 2025 by Gombe, a former ADC National Deputy Chairman for the North-East, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025. He challenged the officers who emerged from the party's 99th NEC meeting of July 29, 2025, and INEC's recognition of them. The dispute followed the resignation of former National Chairman Chief Ralph Nwosu and a political realignment that brought several opposition figures into the party.
The matter passed through the Court of Appeal, which dismissed an interlocutory appeal and awarded ₦2 million in costs in Gombe's favour, and the Supreme Court, which in April 2026 affirmed that parties should return to the trial court. The case was reassigned to Justice Lifu in May 2026 after Justice Emeka Nwite was recommended for appointment to the Court of Appeal.
According to the account of proceedings, the defendants filed about 23 applications, including requests for the judge's recusal and a stay of proceedings. On October 5, 2026, Justice Lifu refused an indefinite adjournment and went on to hear the substantive case.
What happens next
The judgment leaves the ADC's national leadership in fresh uncertainty as parties prepare for the 2027 general elections. The affected parties can take the decision to the Court of Appeal, a step that could stretch the dispute further. For now, INEC is directed to deal with Gombe as the party's recognised NEC member.
