The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the removal of former Senate President, Senator David Mark, and former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Chairman and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), respectively .
Delivering judgment on Friday, March 6, 2026, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik struck out the suit on the grounds that it bordered on the internal affairs of a political party, over which no court has jurisdiction . The Judge held that membership and leadership of a political party are voluntary, describing political parties as voluntary associations that operate without compulsion .
Justice Abdulmalik further ruled that members aggrieved over matters within their parties should always employ internal mechanisms to resolve such grievances or, at best, opt out and join other parties . She maintained that cases bordering on party membership and leadership are not justiciable and therefore fall outside the jurisdiction of the courts .
Background of the Dispute
The suit, filed by some aggrieved members of the party, had challenged the appointment of Mark, Aregbesola, and others as interim national officers of the ADC . The plaintiffs had argued that the appointments were unconstitutional and in breach of the ADC constitution . They also questioned whether the individuals involved were properly registered members of the party and qualified to hold leadership positions .
The ADC had previously dismissed reports of any court order removing its leaders, describing them as “politically motivated fake news” .
With Friday’s ruling, the leadership of Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola remains intact, and the party can now focus on its preparations for the 2027 general elections .
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