BREAKING: Court Sacks David Mark-Led ADC Exco, Nullifies Atiku’s 2027 Ticket

Published on November 5, 2026

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), invalidating decisions taken by the committee, including the nomination of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Thursday, November 5, ruling that the Mark-led Caretaker Committee was illegally constituted and lacked the authority to act on behalf of the party.

The ruling followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC National Deputy Chairman for the North-East, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker leadership assumed control of the party.

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Gombe argued that following the resignation of the former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was entitled to assume the party’s leadership. He asked the court to nullify decisions taken by the Mark-led committee and restrain Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu as defendants.

Among the decisions affected by the judgment is the ADC presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election. Atiku had earlier selected former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.

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The ruling could create fresh uncertainty over the ADC’s presidential ticket ahead of the January 16, 2027 general election.

However, the party has vowed to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal. Its National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined as an interested party in the case, said the ADC would appeal the decision.

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