Federal High Court Nullifies African Democratic Congress State Congress Committees Appointed by David Mark-Led Interim Body

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik rules that the David Mark-led ADC caretaker committee cannot appoint congress committees, affirming state executive autonomy.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 29, 2026, 7:58 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Vanguard News

Judicial Affirmation of State Level Autonomy in the ADC

The Federal High Court in Abuja has delivered a landmark judgment defining the boundaries of national versus state authority within the African Democratic Congress. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled on Wednesday that the Independent National Electoral Commission is legally barred from recognizing or participating in any state congresses initiated by the Senator David Mark-led caretaker leadership. This decision reinforces the principle that the internal governance of a political party must strictly adhere to its own constitution, specifically regarding the decentralization of power during the organization of local leadership structures.

Restraining National Interference in Valid State Tenures

The court’s judgment explicitly restrains the David Mark-led interim National Working Committee from interfering with the functions and tenure of the party's elected state executives. Justice Abdulmalik held that the responsibility for conducting state congresses resides with the state executive committees rather than the national caretaker body. Evidence presented during the trial established that the four-year tenure of the State Working Committees and State Executive Committees remains valid. Consequently, these bodies must be allowed to complete their full terms without external displacement by national interim appointments.

Legal Challenges to the Caretaker Committee’s Appointments

The ruling stems from a lawsuit (FHC/ABJ/CS/581/2026) filed by Don Norman Obinna and six other aggrieved party members representing various state chairmen. The plaintiffs successfully challenged the validity of appointments made by the Mark-led caretaker committee for the purpose of conducting congresses slated for April 2026. They argued that such appointments constituted a gross violation of the party’s constitution, which mandates that only duly elected organs possess the authority to manage these transitions. The court agreed, finding that neither the 1999 Constitution nor the ADC’s internal rules empowered the caretaker committee to override state structures.