The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is about to face a leadership crisis as three aggrieved members of the party have filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the removal of the Senator David Mark-led interim leadership.
The lawsuit comes just days after the party unveiled its new leadership in a coalition-backed ceremony, where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and several politicians publicly endorsed the new direction.
That move has reportedly unsettled not just some ADC members, but also powerful interests in the Presidency, who are accused of quietly working to divide the coalition’s base through political pressure and inducement.
In a new development, plaintiffs Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila are challenging the legality of the appointments of Senator David Mark as Interim National Chairman, former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola as Interim National Secretary, and ex-Minister of Sports Bolaji Abdullahi as Interim National Publicity Secretary of the ADC.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1328, lists the ADC as the 1st defendant, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu joined as 2nd and 3rd defendants, respectively. Senator Mark, Aregbesola, and Abdullahi are named as 4th, 5th, and 6th defendants.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine, among other things, whether the appointments of the coalition-backed figures violate the ADC Constitution (2018, as amended) and whether such leadership changes can lawfully occur without a properly convened National Convention or decision of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
They also asked the court to determine: “Whether or not the appointment of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants as Interim National Chairman, National Secretary, and National Publicity Secretary of the 1st Defendant was made in breach of the provisions of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Constitution, 2018 (as amended).”
“Whether or not, given the combined provisions of Article 9, paragraph D of the ADC Constitution, 2018 (as amended), the 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants are qualified to hold the respective offices to which they were appointed.”
“Whether the constitution of the 1st Defendant, being an existing and not a newly formed political party, makes provisions for interim leadership positions such as Interim National Chairman, Interim National Secretary, and Interim National Publicity Secretary.”
“Whether or not the 3rd Defendant’s purported handover of the party’s leadership structure to the newly constituted leadership of the ADC is not a direct violation of the judgment delivered in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1541/2022 by Hon. Justice Binta Nyako on 21st December 2022.”
The plaintiffs are also challenging whether Mark, Aregbesola, and Abdullahi, all of whom joined the party through the new opposition coalition, are even bona fide members of the ADC, citing Article 9 of the party’s constitution which requires a minimum of two years’ membership before eligibility for national office.
They urged the court to declare the appointments as “unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void,” adding that “the appointment of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants is inconsistent with and contrary to the combined provisions of the Constitution of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), 2018 (as amended).”