Three plaintiffs have asked a Federal High Court to sack Senator David Mark as ADC leader.
They claim his appointment violates a prior ruling, sparking a sharp response from the party.
Three individuals have approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the removal of Senator David Mark as the interim leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The plaintiffs Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila filed the lawsuit on Monday, alleging that the appointment of Mark and other interim leaders contravenes a standing court ruling.
The case, registered as FHC/ABJ/CS/1328, lists the ADC as the first defendant, followed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, as the second and third defendants. Other defendants include Senator David Mark (Interim National Chairman), former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola (Interim National Secretary), and ex-Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi (Interim National Publicity Secretary).
The plaintiffs claim that the transition of leadership to figures aligned with a coalition arrangement may have flouted an existing court order. They argue that the legitimacy of the interim appointments is questionable and should be subject to judicial review.
In a swift response, the ADC refuted the suit, accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating the legal action using individuals who, according to the party, are not recognized members.
In an official statement, the ADC alleged, “The names used in filing this suit do not exist in our membership registers, either physically or digitally, in Kogi and Nasarawa States.” The party accused the APC of attempting to deceive the public by presenting non-members as aggrieved stakeholders.
The statement further criticized the ruling party for what it called “Machiavellian politics,” describing the lawsuit as a desperate tactic unbecoming of a party governing a nation of over 200 million people.
Meanwhile, the ADC’s National Legal Support Group has vowed to defend the party and its interim leaders in court. According to the group’s coordinator, Barrister Mohammed Sheriff, nearly 100 lawyers have signaled their willingness to represent the party in the legal proceedings.
Sheriff stated, “Our legal team, comprising no fewer than 97 lawyers, is prepared to stand firmly with the ADC against any attempts to destabilize the party under false pretenses.”
ADC is a party that will never survive. The party is dead on arrival. No criminal politician will return to power in Nigeria again.