The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the African Democratic Congress (ADC) not to proceed with its planned national convention, deepening the party’s leadership crisis.
Justice J.O. Abdulmalik gave the order following an application for adjournment by counsel to one of the defendants to enable a response to the plaintiffs’ processes.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the order while ruling on a suit filed by seven aggrieved members of the party.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik directed the parties and all parties involved in the dispute to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the case.
“I also order that all parties in this suit shall maintain the status quo ante bellum and shall not take further steps in this matter so as not to render nugatory the proceedings before the Court,” the judge held.
She also directed that the defendants be served with hearing notices ahead of the next sitting.
“I further order that the 1st to 5th defendants shall be served hearing notice for the definite hearing,” the court added.
The case was subsequently adjourned to April 23 for hearing.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/581/2026, was filed by seven party members who said they were acting for themselves and on behalf of all ADC state chairmen and state executive committees.
The plaintiffs, led by Don Norman Obinna and six others, are suing on behalf of state chairmen and state executive committees of the ADC.
The defendants include the ADC, David Mark, Patricia Akwashiki, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The plaintiffs are challenging the legality of a caretaker or interim national working committee headed by Mark, which they allege lacks the constitutional authority to organize state congresses or appoint congress committees.
They are seeking declarations that their tenure as state executive committees remains valid and that only duly constituted state executive committees have the authority to organize state congresses.
They also urged the court to restrain INEC from recognizing or participating in any congress organized by the caretaker committee.
The suit is the latest development in an ongoing leadership dispute within the ADC, centered on the control of party structures ahead of planned congresses and political realignments.
At the heart of the disagreement is the role of a caretaker or interim national working committee, which some party stakeholders accuse of overstepping its constitutional powers.
The plaintiffs contend that, under the party’s constitution and the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the tenure of state executive committees subsists until valid congresses are conducted, and that any attempt to bypass them undermines internal party democracy.
In his ruling, Justice Abdulmalik directed all parties to file their relevant processes, adding that pending applications would be heard alongside the substantive suit.
The judge further ordered that all parties should refrain from taking any steps that could render the court proceedings nugatory.
He also directed that hearing notices be served on the affected defendants ahead of the next sitting.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to April 23 for a definite hearing.
Meanwhile, the Mark-led ADC leadership on Tuesday went ahead with its decision to hold the party’s national convention in Abuja.
