The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) took a dramatic turn on Tuesday as former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola challenged the continued hearing of a suit against the party, arguing that the ADC had effectively ceased to exist following a Federal High Court judgment ordering its deregistration.
The dispute unfolded before Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where senior lawyers representing key figures in the party questioned the legal basis for proceeding with a case involving a political party that had allegedly been deregistered by the same court a day earlier.
Counsel to David Mark, Dr. Suleiman Usman (SAN), alongside lawyers representing Aregbesola and Nkemakolam Ukandu, argued that Justice Lifu’s judgment delivered on Monday directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the ADC, had rendered the party legally non-existent.
According to the lawyers, if the ADC had indeed been deregistered, it could no longer be a subject of litigation, insisting that the court must first clarify the party’s legal status before any further proceedings.
They maintained that a determination on the status of the ADC would decide whether they remained in court to defend their clients or withdrew from the matter entirely.
Responding, Justice Lifu questioned whether the lawyers had obtained and thoroughly reviewed the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment. Upon learning they had not, the judge directed them to study the ruling, stressing that the deregistration case was distinct from the suit challenging the leadership of the party.
In a related development, Justice Lifu dismissed an application filed by David Mark and Aregbesola seeking his recusal from the case.
The judge described the application as lacking merit, holding that allegations of bias, prejudice, and partiality were unsupported by credible evidence.
He further accused the defendants of attempting to delay the proceedings despite directives from the Supreme Court for an expedited hearing.
“No responsible court of record will dance to the whims and caprices of a litigant. No court must fall to cheap blackmail and intimidation,” Justice Lifu said.
“As for me, I can never be intimidated or harassed. A judge must be bold, courageous and firm. This is what I stand for. Court exists to do justice and not to do the bidding of any party.”
Following the dismissal of the application, the court imposed a fine of N500,000 each on David Mark and Aregbesola, payable to the plaintiff, Nafiu Bala Gombe.
The suit was instituted by factional ADC National Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is challenging the leadership structure of the party.
Justice Lifu subsequently adjourned the matter until June 23, 2026, for further hearing.
The latest courtroom confrontation has further intensified uncertainty surrounding the ADC, as legal and political battles continue to shape the future of the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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