ADC leadership crisis deepens as court dismisses objections by David Mark, Aregbesola

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed objections filed by African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Chairman Senator David Mark and the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, against an application seeking to amend a suit challenging their emergence as the party’s national leaders.

In a ruling delivered on Friday, Justice Peter Lifu described the objections raised by the two defendants as “frivolous, baseless and without an iota of merit,” holding that the plaintiff’s request to amend his originating summons was a lawful and necessary step to ensure justice.

The court subsequently granted the application filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, and ordered David Mark and Aregbesola to pay ₦500,000 each as costs to the plaintiff.

Justice Lifu ruled that the amendment became necessary following a change of legal counsel and emphasized that it did not prejudice the defendants, who still have the legal right to respond by filing fresh counter-affidavits to the amended suit.

According to the judge, amendments to court processes before judgment are well-established in law and are often allowed to enable courts determine disputes on their merits rather than on technicalities.

“The defendants have not shown how the amendment will occasion any miscarriage of justice against them,” the judge held while dismissing all objections to the application.

The latest ruling marks another significant development in the legal battle over the leadership of the ADC, which has intensified since the opposition party emerged as the platform for a coalition of opposition politicians preparing for the 2027 general election.

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The substantive suit was instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is challenging the emergence of David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary.

Gombe contends that the process leading to their emergence violated both the ADC Constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act. He is asking the court to declare their appointments invalid and restrain them, alongside other members of the party’s National Working Committee, from presenting themselves as the legitimate national leadership of the party.

Represented by senior lawyer Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), the plaintiff argued that he was legally entitled to amend his originating summons before judgment and that the proposed amendments were necessary to enable the court effectively determine all issues in dispute.

However, counsel to David Mark, Dr. Suleiman Umar (SAN), urged the court to reject the application, arguing that the parties had already exchanged legal processes and joined issues.

According to him, allowing the amendment after the defendants had disclosed their legal arguments would hand the plaintiff an unfair advantage and offend the principles of fair hearing.

Similarly, counsel to Rauf Aregbesola, Realwan Okpanachi, opposed the application, insisting that the amendment substantially altered the character of the case by introducing fresh claims and additional documents.

He maintained that the ADC National Executive Committee (NEC) validly restructured the party’s leadership during its meeting on July 29, 2025, after giving the required statutory notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on July 1, 2025, in compliance with the Electoral Act.

Okpanachi further alleged that Gombe initially relied on an unsigned copy of the ADC Constitution before later introducing a signed version after seeing the defendants’ objections.

He argued that the action was an attempt to strengthen a weak case and urged the court to reject the amendment, insisting that a litigant seeking equitable relief must approach the court with clean hands.

Justice Lifu, however, rejected those arguments, ruling that the proposed amendments neither changed the substance of the dispute in a manner that would prejudice the defendants nor denied them the opportunity to adequately defend themselves.

Consequently, the court dismissed the objections filed by David Mark and Aregbesola, granted leave for Gombe to amend his originating summons and awarded ₦500,000 in costs against each of the two defendants.

The ruling is the latest twist in the prolonged ADC leadership crisis, which has generated multiple legal proceedings since the party’s leadership restructuring.

Earlier in the dispute, conflicting court orders created uncertainty over the party’s leadership, prompting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to temporarily suspend recognition of the David Mark-led National Working Committee.

The uncertainty was later eased after the Supreme Court set aside the Court of Appeal’s order that directed parties to maintain the status quo. The apex court subsequently ordered an accelerated hearing of the substantive suit, after which INEC restored the David Mark-led leadership on its official records pending the final determination of the case.

Despite Friday’s ruling, the court did not determine the substantive issues surrounding the legitimacy of the party’s leadership.

Instead, the decision clears the way for the plaintiff to proceed with his amended claims, while the Federal High Court continues hearing the suit that could ultimately determine the future leadership of one of Nigeria’s major opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

ADC leadership crisis deepens as court dismisses objections by David Mark, Aregbesola

Tinubu hits Atiku hard, says: ‘I’m clearing the mess you created’

President Bola Tinubu has intensified his criticism of African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, accusing the former vice president of leaving behind huge unpaid pension liabilities after overseeing the privatisation of federal government enterprises during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The President said his administration is now paying pension arrears and addressing long-standing obligations neglected for years, insisting that Nigerians are more interested in economic stability and improved social welfare than political rhetoric.

Tinubu made the remarks on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during separate meetings with members of the Nigerian Diaspora Medical Association (NDMA) and leaders from the North-East, who visited to appreciate him for retaining Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking on his administration’s economic reforms, Tinubu said the government remains committed to stabilising the economy despite inheriting significant fiscal and structural challenges.

According to him, the difficult policy decisions taken since assuming office are aimed at restoring investor confidence, strengthening public finances and creating a more sustainable economy for Nigerians.

“The old age is here now. If you can stabilise the economy, Nigerians are not asking for too much—simple stability and social welfare,” Tinubu said.

Without initially mentioning Atiku by name, the President accused one of his expected political challengers of supervising the privatisation of government-owned enterprises while failing to ensure workers received their pension entitlements.

“Somebody among my prospective opponents privatised government investment in public entities but forgot to pay the pension. I’m clearing the pensioners now, so clearing the mess they created,” Tinubu stated.

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The remarks are widely seen as a direct reference to Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President between 1999 and 2007 and chaired the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) under the Obasanjo administration.

During that period, the council supervised the sale, concession or commercialisation of more than 100 federal government enterprises, including Nigeria Airways, NITEL, Nigerian Telecommunications Limited, Nigerian National Shipping Line and several manufacturing, hospitality and utility companies.

While the privatisation programme was designed to improve efficiency and reduce government spending, it also resulted in the restructuring or closure of several public enterprises. Thousands of workers exited the organisations, with labour unions and affected employees raising concerns over delayed pensions, gratuities and severance benefits that remained unresolved for years.

Successive administrations have continued to make payments to clear some of the outstanding liabilities.

Tinubu maintained that his administration is committed to resolving inherited challenges while implementing reforms aimed at rebuilding the economy.

The President also called for greater national unity in addressing security challenges, particularly terrorism and banditry in the North-East.

He urged political leaders, traditional rulers and community stakeholders to work together in supporting ongoing efforts by security agencies to restore peace across affected communities.

“The leadership of the North-East is challenged because of terrorism and banditry. I could see a collaboration that would work together. Only if we stick together, work together and face the challenges the best way possible as a united country,” he said.

Tinubu also reflected on his professional experience in the United States before returning to Nigeria, describing his years in accounting and finance as instrumental in shaping his approach to leadership.

“There is nowhere like home. I have experienced being in America and have taken the best of America in my chosen profession, accountancy and finance. Where can I apply it best after initial training with Deloitte & Touche? I can’t forget the Standard Oil Building in Chicago and my first week there,” he said.

The President’s comments come amid escalating political exchanges between the Presidency and Atiku’s camp over Tinubu’s decades-old civil forfeiture case in the United States.

Earlier on Friday, Atiku’s Special Adviser on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, challenged the Presidency to release documentary evidence instead of issuing public statements defending the President.

In a post on X directed at Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Shaibu argued that the matter had become “a contest of evidence” and urged the Presidency to publish documents it believes would settle the controversy.

His remarks followed Onanuga’s allegation that Atiku spent $1.2 million on American lobbyists to revive Tinubu’s 1993 civil forfeiture case. The Presidency has dismissed the renewed controversy, insisting that the matter was resolved decades ago and that the President remains focused on governance and delivering his reform agenda.

With political activities gathering momentum ahead of the 2027 general election, the latest exchange underscores the growing rivalry between Tinubu and Atiku as both camps continue to trade accusations over governance, accountability and Nigeria’s economic future.

Tinubu hits Atiku hard, says: ‘I’m clearing the mess you created’

Atiku denies Obasanjo’s N5m bribery claim, links accusation to 2027 presidential race

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has rejected allegations by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that he bribed the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, with N5 million to initiate impeachment proceedings against him, describing the claims as politically motivated and aimed at rewriting history ahead of the 2027 general election.

Atiku made the remarks in a statement titled “The Grave Is Not A Witness Box,” issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in response to allegations made by Obasanjo during the public presentation of his newly released memoir.

The former Vice President expressed concern that Obasanjo chose to raise the allegation only after the death of Na’Abba, arguing that the late lawmaker was no longer alive to either confirm or deny the claims.

According to Atiku, invoking a deceased person as the principal witness in such a serious allegation denies Nigerians the opportunity to hear the full account of events.

“As Africans, we understand the solemn duty of speaking truthfully about the dead. It is therefore deeply troubling that former President Obasanjo has chosen this moment to allege that I gave the late Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba a bribe to impeach him,” Atiku said.

He questioned why the allegation was never made while Na’Abba was alive.

“If this allegation were true, why did he never make it while Rt. Hon. Na’Abba was alive? Why wait until the only man who could confirm or refute the claim has departed this world? By invoking a deceased man as the principal witness to such a grave allegation, former President Obasanjo has denied Nigerians the opportunity of hearing the other side of the story.”

The ADC presidential candidate maintained that if such a bribery incident had truly occurred during the Obasanjo administration, appropriate legal and institutional measures would have followed.

He argued that no criminal investigation, prosecution, judicial pronouncement or official report had ever established that he bribed Na’Abba or orchestrated an impeachment plot against the former President.

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Atiku further alleged that the timing of the accusation, coming as political alignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election gather momentum, suggested an attempt to influence public opinion and weaken his political standing.

“Coming at a time when the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general election is taking shape, the obvious objective is to besmirch my person and reputation and confer an undeserved political advantage on the former President’s kinsman. Nigerians, however, know better. They are too discerning to be distracted by stale allegations resurrected for political convenience.”

The former Vice President also revisited the political disagreements that marked his relationship with Obasanjo while they served in office, insisting that their fallout stemmed largely from his opposition to the former President’s controversial third-term agenda.

According to Atiku, he chose to defend constitutional democracy and the rule of law instead of supporting any move to extend presidential tenure beyond constitutional limits.

“My offence was that I stood firmly against the unconstitutional third-term agenda. As a democrat, I chose the path of constitutionalism and the rule of law. Rather than surrender democratic principles on the altar of personal ambition, I defended the Constitution and successfully asserted my rights through the courts in a series of landmark legal victories against a sitting President.”

He added that those legal battles had become an important chapter in Nigeria’s democratic history and suggested that lingering political differences continued to shape Obasanjo’s perception of him.

Atiku said he would not allow disputes from more than two decades ago to distract attention from the pressing challenges facing Nigerians, including rising inflation, food insecurity, public debt, unemployment and insecurity.

“The task before leaders today is not to rewrite history but to rescue the future. Nigerians are more interested in knowing why food prices continue to soar, why public debt continues to rise despite increased revenues, and why scandal after scandal continues to trail the current administration than in revisiting political disagreements from over two decades ago.”

He also stated that Obasanjo was entitled to support any candidate in the 2027 presidential election, but urged the former President to openly declare his preferred aspirant rather than make allegations he described as unfounded.

“If former President Obasanjo has chosen to take a political position ahead of 2027, he should simply declare it and allow Nigerians to make their judgment based on the issues, records and vision presented by those seeking to lead the country.”

The response followed comments made by Obasanjo during the unveiling of his memoir, in which the former President alleged that Atiku secretly backed an impeachment plot against him during his first term in office.

Obasanjo claimed that Atiku invited the late Speaker, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to his office while he was away from Abuja and allegedly handed him N5 million to commence impeachment proceedings. According to the former President, the alleged meeting was later reported to him by his then Chief of Staff, whom he described as a professional intelligence officer.

The renewed exchange has brought back one of the most enduring political rivalries in Nigeria, with both leaders once serving on the same presidential ticket before their relationship deteriorated during Obasanjo’s second term in office.

As political activities ahead of the 2027 general election continue to gather pace, the latest war of words between the two prominent politicians is expected to fuel fresh debate over Nigeria’s political history, accountability and leadership.

Atiku denies Obasanjo’s N5m bribery claim, links accusation to 2027 presidential race