The African Democratic Congress (ADC), which currently anchors a new political coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, has mobilised a legal team of 97 lawyers to defend its interim leadership in a court battle triggered by what the party described as politically motivated litigation.
In a statement released Tuesday by its media office, the party alleged that the lawsuit was engineered by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in a bid to undermine its newly established interim structure.
According to the ADC, the individuals who filed the case; Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila, are not registered members of the party, despite claiming to represent ADC interests in Kogi and Nasarawa states.
“The ADC accused the APC of deceiving Nigerians by using the names of non-ADC members to file a suit against the party and its interim leadership,” the statement read.
“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 its citizens in pursuit of Machiavellian politics,” the party added.
The legal action, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1328, seeks to invalidate the current ADC leadership structure by removing Senator David Mark from his role as interim national chairman.
It also questions the legitimacy of the recent leadership transition within the party, alleging that it may have violated an earlier court judgment.
Listed as defendants in the suit are the ADC itself (first defendant), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and former ADC national chairman Ralph Nwosu.
Others include Senator David Mark (fourth defendant), former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola (fifth), and ex-Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi (sixth).
The ADC’s National Legal Support Group confirmed that extensive legal preparations are underway to counter the suit.
According to Barrister Mohammed Sheriff, who leads the group, a total of 97 legal professionals have volunteered to defend the party.
“According to Barrister Mohammed Sheriff, head of the group, 97 lawyers have expressed willingness to represent the party in court,” the statement confirmed.
