- The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled April 14, 2026, to hear a suit filed by Nafiu Gombe challenging the current leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
- The suit seeks to restrain former Senate President David Mark and former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola from acting as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary.
- Following a Court of Appeal ruling, INEC reportedly removed Mark and Aregbesola’s names from its portal, prompting their legal team to file for immediate restoration and an accelerated hearing.
The leadership battle within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is set to reach a critical juncture as Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed April 14 for the hearing of the substantive suit.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the legal action, initiated by Nafiu Gombe, seeks to halt the David Mark-led faction from parading themselves as the party’s executive officers.
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The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, involves high-profile defendants including former Senate President David Mark, former Minister Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and former party chairman Ralph Nwosu.
This hearing follows a March 12 judgment from the Court of Appeal, which directed the parties to return to the trial court to maintain the “status quo ante bellum” (the state of affairs before the conflict).
In the wake of that appellate decision, INEC reportedly updated its official portal by removing the names of Mark and Aregbesola.
In response, the Mark-led leadership filed a motion on notice on April 7, urging the court to compel INEC to restore their names as recognized officers of the party while requesting an expedited hearing to resolve the impasse.
Defending their positions, both David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola have filed preliminary objections, arguing that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case.
Mark’s legal team contends that Gombe lacks the standing (locus standi) to bring the suit forward, alleging he had already resigned his position as Deputy National Chairman.
They further argue that the dispute is an internal political party affair and therefore non-justiciable.
Aregbesola echoed these sentiments, describing the suit as unmeritorious and requesting the court to award ₦50 million in costs against the plaintiff for what he labeled a frivolous litigation.
The outcome of the April 14 hearing will be pivotal for the ADC’s organizational stability as the 2027 election cycle approaches.
With Ralph Nwosu also challenging the competence of the suit on the grounds that internal dispute resolution mechanisms were not exhausted, the court must now determine whether to dismiss the case based on these technical objections or proceed to a full trial.
As one of Nigeria’s increasingly visible political parties, the resolution of this power struggle remains a point of significant interest for political observers and electoral stakeholders.
