Claims that Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola were ordered by a Federal High Court in Abuja to refrain from serving as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively, have been refuted by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The ADC said in a statement released Thursday by Bolaji Abdullahi, its National Publicity Secretary, that the rumors of a court order against the new leadership were the product of slanderers and false information propagandists.
In its ruling on September 4, 2025, the Abuja Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, rejected the ex-parte application submitted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, according to the party. Instead, the court ordered the defendants to be placed on notice, appear to provide justification for their decision, and postpone the case until September 15, 2025.
In an effort to deceive Nigerians and feed the media with bogus news, the ADC added, desperate political jobbers who were disappointed by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to acknowledge the party’s leadership change are trying to.
This was the entire statement:
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) would like to correct misinformation that is currently making the rounds in the media on the Federal High Court’s recent decision in Abuja regarding our great party’s leadership.
“In contrast to certain false reports, the court did not issue an order prohibiting Senator David Mark and Senator Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from serving as the ADC’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively. Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe’s ex-parte application was denied by the Honorable Court, which instead ordered that due process be followed.
On September 4, 2025, Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite issued the verdict, which unequivocally outlined the following four orders:
1. That the application submitted on September 2, 2025 by the Plaintiff/Applicant is denied.
2. That notice of the Defendants is hereby required of the Plaintiff/Applicant.
It is ordered that the Respondents/Defendants come before this Honorable Court to explain why the application should not be approved.
The matter is postponed until September 15, 2025, so that the Respondents and Defendants can provide justification.
The order was certified by Kasope Kafayat Bola, the Federal High Court Registrar, and lawfully signed and issued by Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite, the Presiding Judge.
Once the political Jobbers were unable to prevent INEC from recognizing the ADC leadership transition, they turned to spreading false information. This demonstrates that in their frantic attempts to create confusion and further weaken opposition groups, these destabilization agents will do anything it takes, even altering court decisions.
The ADC’s leadership in this respect exhorts the public and press to exercise caution and be on the lookout for false information and fake news that are typical of the ruling party and its operatives.
