THREE members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the legality of the party’s newly constituted interim leadership headed by former Senate President David Mark.
In the suit filed on July 4, the plaintiffs—Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila—are contesting the legitimacy of the appointments made during what they described as an “unlawful” meeting orchestrated by the party’s former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
According to court filings, the plaintiffs argue that Nwosu’s tenure had expired before the meeting was convened, rendering any decisions made therein—including the appointment of interim officers—null and void.
They specifically asked the court to declare the appointments of David Mark as interim national chairman, Rauf Aregbesola as secretary, and Bolaji Abdullahi as national publicity secretary as unconstitutional and illegal.
In addition, the plaintiffs are seeking an order to bar the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing the trio in any official capacity within the party.
This internal dispute comes just weeks after the ADC was relaunched on June 2 as a political platform for unifying opposition forces against President Bola Tinubu in the upcoming general elections.
Prominent figures associated with the coalition include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai.
Since its unveiling, the ADC’s interim leadership and political intentions have continued to stir intense reactions and controversy across Nigeria’s political landscape.