By Our Reporter
The legal crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deepened on Monday after the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal upheld a Federal High Court judgment barring the Senator David Mark-led leadership from dissolving the party’s State Working Committees, a development that could further complicate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s reported plan to contest the 2027 presidential election on the party’s platform.
In a split decision of two to one, Justices Okon Abang and Donatus Okorowo affirmed the lower court’s ruling that the dissolution of the state executives violated both the ADC Constitution and Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution. The appellate court also ordered the ADC, David Mark, and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola to pay ₦10 million in costs to the aggrieved state chairmen for attempting to truncate their four-year tenure.
The judgment is expected to intensify the leadership tussle within the party, raising fresh uncertainty over the legitimacy of recent state congresses conducted by the Mark-led faction despite the subsisting court order. The verdict could also pose a significant political setback for Atiku, who has been widely linked with the ADC as a possible platform for a 2027 presidential bid.
However, the ruling does not necessarily shut the door on either Atiku or the ADC. The party could seek redress at the Supreme Court, pursue an internal political settlement with the aggrieved state chairmen, or reorganise its leadership in line with the court’s decision. Likewise, Atiku still has several options, including remaining with the ADC if the dispute is resolved, backing another opposition arrangement, or exploring another political platform ahead of the 2027 election. Until then, the judgment leaves both the former vice president and the ADC facing critical political and legal decisions as preparations for the next general election gather momentum.