Key Points

• Court to hear ADC leadership case on September 15.

• Rival members want Mark and Aregbesola removed.

• Party says no court order has removed its leaders.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is locked in a bitter leadership fight. Senator David Mark, a former Senate President, is serving as interim national chairman.

Former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola holds the interim national secretary role.

They took charge in June after founding chairman Ralph Okey Nwosu stepped down.

The change was part of a bigger plan to join forces with other opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

The move won backing from big political names. They include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi, ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Sokoto governor Aminu Tambuwal.

Together, they hope to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC.

But not everyone agreed. Dumebi Kachikwu, the ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, called the change illegal. He said it went against the party’s values and risked tearing it apart.

Nafiu Bala, a former governorship candidate in Gombe, went further. He declared himself interim chairman and accused Mark’s team of trying to hijack the party.

Court orders Mark and Aregbesola to defend roles

The dispute quickly ended up in court. Three members — Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila — asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to cancel Mark’s appointment. They claimed it broke party rules and ignored a past judgment.

Justice Emeka Nwite heard the case on September 4. He refused a request to block Mark and Aregbesola immediately.

Instead, he asked the plaintiffs to serve the legal papers on all defendants, which include ADC, INEC, Mark, Aregbesola, and Nwosu.

The judge then ordered Mark and his team to appear in court on September 15 to defend their roles. INEC had already updated its records to show them as party leaders.

Kachikwu welcomed the court’s decision. He said it would help remove what he called “invaders” from the ADC.

ADC denies reports of removal

The ADC leadership insists no court removed Mark or Aregbesola. National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi dismissed reports claiming otherwise as fake news.

“The court did not stop Mark and Aregbesola from leading the party,” Abdullahi said. “Those spreading lies are trying to destabilise us.”

He urged party members and the public to be careful with such reports, saying misinformation only creates confusion and weakens opposition parties.

What happens next

The next hearing on September 15 will decide whether the court upholds or rejects the interim leadership.

If the court rules against them, the ADC could face deeper division, just as it prepares for the 2027 elections.

If the court supports them, Mark and Aregbesola may strengthen the opposition coalition and position the ADC as a serious challenger to the APC.

For now, the ADC remains split, with rival groups waiting for the court to give a clear direction.