Appeal Court ruling changes nothing, David Mark remains National Chairman – ADC
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed reports claiming the Court of Appeal nullified the leadership of its National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC stressed that the recent appellate ruling was purely procedural and did not address the substantive merits of the ongoing leadership dispute.
The statement reads in part: “The attention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been drawn to reports concerning the recent decision of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria in an appeal filed by the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, in connection with the ongoing suit instituted against the party leadership at the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
“Having carefully studied the judgment, we wish to state unequivocally that the Court of Appeal did not determine the substantive dispute regarding the leadership of the ADC. The case challenging the emergence of Senator David Mark as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary is still pending before the Federal High Court and has not yet been heard or decided on its merits.
“Importantly, the Court of Appeal did not grant any relief in favour of the plaintiff, nor did it issue any order affecting the leadership structure of the party. On the contrary, the court ordered that parties should maintain the status quo, meaning that the current state of affairs within the party should remain unchanged pending the determination of the substantive suit.”
Abdullahi urged party members not to panic or be misled by misinterpretations, describing the ruling as procedural and affirming that it upholds the legitimacy and tenure of the current national leadership.
He added: “Members of the ADC are therefore advised not to panic or be misled by misinterpretations of the judgment. The ruling of the Court of Appeal is purely procedural and does not affect the legitimacy or tenure of the current national leadership of the party.
“The ADC remains united and focused despite the antics of anti-democratic forces bent on imposing a one-party rule on Nigeria.”
The clarification follows conflicting reports after the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed Senator Mark’s appeal (marked CA/ABJ/CV/145/2026) on Thursday. The court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, struck out the appeal as incompetent after upholding a preliminary objection, awarded N2 million in costs against Mark, and ordered an accelerated hearing of the substantive suit at the Federal High Court involving chieftain Nafiu Bala Gombe.
