A federal high court in Abuja has sacked the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu, the presiding judge, declared the Mark-led caretaker committee illegal, ruling in favour of Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former national deputy chairman (north-east) of the party.

Justice Lifu also invalidated all decisions taken by the party’s caretaker committee, including the nomination of Atiku Abubakar as the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

It would be recalled that Bala approached the court to challenge the process by which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party after Ralph Nwosu, the former national chairman, resigned.

According to him, following Nwosu’s resignation, he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership.

He therefore asked the court to nullify all decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s national chairman and national secretary, respectively.

He argued that their emergence violated the ADC constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu as defendants.

In his judgment, Lifu upheld Bala’s claims and granted the reliefs sought, effectively invalidating the actions of the caretaker committee, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.

INEC had earlier published Atiku’s name as the ADC’s candidate for the January 16, 2027 presidential election. The former vice-president has also picked Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers, as his running mate.

Reacting to the ruling, Nkemakolam Ukandu, the ADC national welfare secretary, said the party would challenge the judgment at the appellate court.

A federal high court in Abuja has sacked the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu, the presiding judge, declared the Mark-led caretaker committee illegal, ruling in favour of Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former national deputy chairman (north-east) of the party.

Lifu also invalidated all decisions taken by the party’s caretaker committee, including the nomination of Atiku Abubakar as the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

Details later…

1. The January 17, 2027 presidential race gathered momentum on Wednesday as President Bola Tinubu and opposition candidates Atiku Abubakar, Seyi Makinde and Peter Obi intensified their campaigns, unveiling competing promises on security, economic recovery, national unity and improved living conditions.

While Tinubu sought another four-year mandate on the strength of his administration’s policies and promised continuity, the opposition candidates criticised the state of the country and offered alternative plans to tackle mounting economic and security challenges.

2. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority on Wednesday said that the illegal refinery recently discovered at Ogere Remo in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State was operating on over three hectares of land, with an underground storage tank estimated to have a capacity of more than 90,000 litres.

3. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returned to Abuja yesterday  night after completing the Umrah (Lesser Hajj) pilgrimage in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. While there,  he offered special prayers for Nigeria’s peace, security, unity and prosperity. His  aircraft touched down at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at exactly 8.53 pm, bringing to an end his  five-day  visit to the oil-rich Asian kingdom

4. The African Democratic Congress, ADC, vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has said he would leave his wife if she became president and governed like President Bola Tinubu. Amaechi stated this during an interview with Rapid TV, urging Nigerians to put aside religious, political and ethnic affiliations and reject Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

5. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested approval from the National Assembly to secure a fresh external loan of $7.7 billion (approximately N10.79 trillion) to part-finance the Federal Government’s N31.4 trillion budget deficit for the 2026 fiscal year. The request, contained in a letter dated October 26, 2026, and addressed to the Senate President, was read on the floor of the upper legislative chamber during Wednesday’s plenary.

6. Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are going round villages in northern Nigeria to buy voters’ cards in an attempt to manipulate the electoral process. Atiku made the allegation on Wednesday in Sokoto while addressing supporters at the flag-off of the ADC presidential campaign, where he urged Nigerians to come out in large numbers to vote and protect their votes during the forthcoming elections.

7. The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to make it compulsory for public and private hospitals across Nigeria to provide emergency medical treatment, prescribing up to six months’ imprisonment for facilities and individuals who violate its provisions. The proposed legislation also prescribes a fine of up to N300,000, imprisonment for six months, or both, for anyone convicted of denying emergency medical treatment.

8. The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC- PCC) yesterday listed the gains of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms in the Education sector.
The council, in a statement by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, said the reforms have  expanded access to quality learning, boosted teacher welfare  and restored stability to Nigeria’s tertiary institutions

9. Force headquarters yesterday warned politicians, thugs, miscreants and other persons with affiliations to members of the political class responsible for destruction of campaign posters, billboards and banners belonging to candidates and parties to desist or face prosecution.

10. Nigeria’s U17 women’s team, the Flamingos, have reached the final of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup for the first time in history after defeating Brazil 3-1 in the semi-final. The Flamingos secured the historic victory with goals from Queen Joseph and Awawu Bashiru, who scored twice.