Court Declines Request to Halt David Mark, Aregbesola from Assuming ADC Leadership
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to grant an application seeking to stop the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, pending the hearing of the substantive suit.
The judge declined the three prayers sought in the ex-parte motion filed by former Deputy National Chairman of ADC, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, and moved by his lawyer, Michael Agber. Instead, Justice Nwite ordered Gombe, the plaintiff, to put all the defendants on notice to show cause why the request should not be granted.
The matter was adjourned until September 15 for the defendants to respond. Although the ruling was delivered on September 4, the certified true copy of the order was made public on Thursday.
Former Senate President David Mark currently serves as national chairman of ADC, while former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola is the national secretary.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, Gombe listed ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Chief Ralph Nwosu as first to fifth defendants respectively.
In his ex-parte motion filed on September 2, the plaintiff sought an interim injunction restraining INEC from recognising Mark and Aregbesola as the party’s leaders pending the hearing of the motion on notice. He also sought an order preventing them and their associates from parading themselves as ADC leaders and restraining INEC from dealing with them in that capacity.
