ADC: Court Declines Request to Temporarily Stop David Mark’s Leadership

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to grant an application seeking to temporarily restrain the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The judge rather ordered the applicant/ plaintiff to put the defendants on notice and adjourned till next week, to enable the defendants appear before him and show cause why the request should not be granted.

The plaintiff/applicant, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, Nafiu-Bala Gombe is challenging the new leadership of the ADC under the former senate president.

He had through his lawyer, Michael Agber, filed and argued an exparte application, praying the court to restrain the Mark executive from parading themselves as leaders of the ADC, pending the hearing of the substantive suit.

But, in his ruling delivered on September 4, Justice Nwite, refused to grant the reliefs sought and ordered that the defendants be placed on notice of the suit against them.

Nwite subsequently fixed September 15 for the defendants to come to the court and show why the plaintiff/applicant’s request should not be granted.

Gombe, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, had sued ADC, the National Chairman, Senator Mark, National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Chief Ralph Nwosu as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

Among the reliefs he had sought in the ex-parte motion dated and filed on September 2, included an order of interim injunction restraining the 4th defendant (INEC) from recognising the 2nd (Mark) and 3rd (Aregbesola) defendants as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the 1st defendant (ADC) pending the hearing of the motion on notice.

He also sought an order of interim injunction restraining the 2nd and 3rd defendants their cohorts from parading themselves as National Chairman and National Secretary of the 1st defendant, pending hearing in the motion on notice already filed and served in this matter.

He sought an order restraining the 4th defendant/respondent from recognising and or dealing with the 2nd and 3rd defendants.