Five state chairmen of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to halt what they describe as an illegal takeover of the party by a coalition of opposition figures led by former Senate President, Senator David Mark.
The suit, filed on Thursday, challenges the legitimacy of the process through which the Mark-led group assumed control of the party, and questions the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in recognising the interim leadership.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, former presidential candidate of the ADC, Dumebi Kachikwu, announced the legal action and decried the developments within the party. He accused the coalition group of attempting to subvert the ADC’s constitution through inducement and coercion.
“Some of the state chairmen are being offered as much as ₦20 million to step down. But even if they succeed, our constitution does not allow such an illegal assumption of office,” Kachikwu said.
He added that the ADC was founded as a platform for progressive ideas and youth-led leadership, not, in his words, “a political retirement home for failed elites.”
Kachikwu reiterated the party’s commitment to internal democracy and the rule of law, insisting that any leadership change must strictly adhere to the ADC constitution and the due process of law.
The lawsuit marks a new chapter in the unfolding leadership tussle within the ADC, which has recently seen growing tensions over the involvement of political heavyweights and realignment efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.
