ADC crisis: Aregbesola takes fight against Mark-led leadership ruling to Appeal Court

Former Osun State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, has approached the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the Federal High Court judgment that nullified the party’s leadership led by former Senate President David Mark.

Aregbesola, through his counsel, Mohammed Sheriff, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), filed a notice of appeal challenging the November 5 judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The appeal seeks to set aside the ruling, which upheld a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former deputy national chairman of the ADC, over the party’s leadership structure.

Gombe had challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership, arguing that he was entitled to assume the position of national chairman following the resignation of former chairman Ralph Nwosu.

Aregbesola argued that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the dispute and faulted its interpretation of the ADC constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

He maintained that the party’s constitution empowers its appropriate executive organ to fill vacant positions through interim appointments pending elections at the next convention or congress.

The former governor is asking the appellate court to reverse the judgment and set aside the orders affecting his emergence as national secretary and the decisions taken under the Mark-led leadership.

Alternatively, he asked the Court of Appeal to order a fresh hearing before another judge if it determines that the matter should be reconsidered by the Federal High Court.

Aregbesola has also approached the lower court seeking a stay of execution of the judgment pending the determination of his appeal.

In its November 5 ruling, the Federal High Court nullified the Mark-led caretaker leadership and decisions taken by the committee, including the process through which former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar emerged as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The judgment has intensified the legal dispute over the leadership of the opposition party, with the latest appeal placing the matter before the Court of Appeal for further determination.