Confusion in ADC over court judgement on legitimacy of Mark, Aregbesola legitimacy 

Confusion has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following conflicting claims over a Federal High Court ruling on the legitimacy of Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary.

Speculation had circulated earlier that the court had issued an interim order preventing the former Senate President and the former Osun State Governor from presenting themselves as the recognised leaders of the party. The order was also reported to have directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to acknowledge them or their associates in those positions until a pending motion was heard.

The suit was filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, who is contesting INEC’s recognition of the new leadership and maintains that he remains the authentic chairman of the party.

In a statement released on Thursday, however, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Bolaji Abdullahi, described the reports as false and the work of political opportunists who had previously failed to prevent INEC from acknowledging the leadership change.

Abdullahi noted that Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling delivered on 4 September 2025, declined the ex-parte application filed by Bala and directed that the defendants be served notice. The judge further ordered the defendants to appear and show cause why the application should not be granted, before adjourning the matter to 15 September 2025.

“Contrary to some misleading publications, the court did not issue any order restraining Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from functioning as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the ADC, respectively. Instead, the Honourable Court refused the ex-parte application brought by Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe and directed that the matter proceed with due process,” Abdullahi said.

The party accused what it termed “agents of destabilisation” of twisting the ruling in a bid to create confusion within the opposition.

“Having failed to stop INEC from acknowledging the leadership change in ADC, these political jobbers are now resorting to deliberate misinformation. Their misrepresentation of court proceedings only underscores the lengths they will go to undermine opposition parties,” the statement read.

The ADC appealed to Nigerians and the media to exercise caution by verifying claims before publication so as not to unwittingly spread falsehoods.