IN what appears to be a major escalation in the political manoeuvrings ahead of the 2027 general elections, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced that it has mobilised a legal team comprising 97 lawyers to defend its interim leadership, including prominent political figures Senator David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, and Bolaji Abdullahi, in an ongoing legal battle.
The party made the announcement through a statement released by its media unit on Tuesday, amid rising tensions surrounding its newly reconstituted interim leadership, a group central to a growing opposition coalition expected to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming election cycle.
The legal dispute began on Monday when three claimants, Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to invalidate the appointment of the ADC’s interim leadership, which includes:
Senator David Mark – Interim National Chairman
Rauf Aregbesola – Interim National Secretary
Bolaji Abdullahi – Interim National Publicity Secretary
Also named as defendants in the case (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1328) are:
African Democratic Congress (ADC) – 1st Defendant
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – 2nd Defendant
Ralph Nwosu, former ADC National Chairman – 3rd Defendant
The plaintiffs allege that the transfer of leadership to these individuals, who are key figures in a broader opposition coalition movement, violated an existing court ruling and sidestepped due party processes.
In a fiery response, the ADC dismissed the lawsuit as a politically motivated attack, accusing the APC of engineering the suit using names of individuals who are not even registered members of the ADC.
“The names used in the lawsuit are not found in either our physical or digital membership registers in Kogi or Nasarawa State,” the party said in its official statement.
Describing the lawsuit as an act of “Machiavellian desperation,” the ADC criticised the ruling party for allegedly exploiting the judicial process to derail its restructuring efforts and undermine the unity forming around its 2027 political strategy.
“It smacks of desperation that a party elected in charge of the lives of no fewer than 200 million people can engage in shopping for the names of citizens in pursuit of Machiavellian politics,” the party added.
Rising to the occasion, the National Legal Support Group for ADC, led by Barrister Mohammed Sheriff, announced that no fewer than 97 lawyers have volunteered to defend the party and its interim leadership in court.
“This is not just about defending individuals; it’s about defending the integrity of democratic coalitions and the rights of parties to restructure internally,” Barrister Sheriff said during a media briefing in Abuja.
He emphasised that the legal team would robustly counter the allegations and demonstrate that the ADC’s interim leadership was lawfully constituted in line with internal resolutions and national party laws.
The lawsuit is being viewed by political analysts as the first real legal test for the coalition strategy spearheaded by the ADC, which has attracted heavyweight political actors, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, and a host of regional powerbrokers aiming to unseat the APC in 2027.
The ADC had earlier dissolved its national leadership structures to allow for the installation of interim officers capable of leading a broader unification agenda for the opposition, a move that some claim threatens the APC’s political stronghold.
With Senator David Mark, a former Senate President, and Rauf Aregbesola, a former APC chieftain, now at the helm of ADC’s coalition leadership, insiders say the stakes are high for both sides.
The Federal High Court is expected to set a date for the hearing of the suit in the coming days, with both parties preparing for what could be a landmark case with implications far beyond the internal affairs of a single political party.
For the ADC, the outcome may determine whether its transformation into a coalition vehicle survives legal scrutiny. For the broader opposition movement, it is a test of unity, legitimacy, and resilience under coordinated political pressure.
“This suit will not distract us. If anything, it confirms that the coalition we are building is making those in power very nervous.”