2 JULY 2026
PRESS STATEMENT
FEDERAL HIGH COURT THROWS OUT ABEJIDE’S CASE AGAINST ADC
- Laid to rest lingering court cases on party's leadership
SUMMARY OF THE COURT’S DECISION
Hon. Justice M. S. Liman of the Federal High Court has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to give Senator David Mark and other NWC members of the ADC recognition as duly elected National Officers of the ADC.
Hon. Justice Liman, in delivering his judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025; Between: HON. LEKE JOSEPH ABEJIDE VS. AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS & 4 ORS.; held that:
i. The case borders on the internal affairs of the ADC, and the court therefore lacks jurisdiction to entertain same;
ii. The case is not a pre-election matter and falls outside the scope of the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction under Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution;
iii. The Plaintiff lacks locus standi to institute the case;
iv. The Plaintiff failed to exhaust the mandatory internal remedy provided under the ADC Constitution.
The Court then struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction. In delivering his judgment on the merits, Hon. Justice Liman held that Senator David Mark and other members of the ADC National Working Committee were duly elected and ordered INEC to give due recognition to them.
OUR POSITION
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) welcomes this judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction, while also dismissing the Plaintiff’s claims on their merits.
This judgment, once again, affirms our clear position that the issue of leadership remains an internal affair of the party and is therefore not justiciable, especially in the light of the Electoral Act, 2022; and that the emergence of the current leadership of our great party, led by Senator David Mark, was carried out in accordance with the law and the Constitution of the ADC.
While we view this ruling as yet another victory for multiparty democracy in Nigeria, it is our hope that this judgment will help bring to an end all the unnecessary distractions and attempts at judicial manipulation by those who are hell-bent on destabilising the opposition and foisting a one-party rule on the country.
At a time when millions of Nigerians are confronted daily with worsening insecurity, an unbearable cost of living, rising unemployment and declining economic opportunities, our responsibility as a serious opposition party is to present practical solutions as alternatives to the people, not to be bogged down by contrived legal challenges.
Even as we celebrate this victory in court, we remain vigilant, convinced that anti-democratic forces remain active and motivated to continue to pursue their inglorious agenda against the Nigerian people.
We commend the courage shown by the presiding judge in standing firmly on the side of justice. We commend, especially, the Judge’s decision to award fines against the Plaintiff and his lawyers, hoping that this measure will serve as a deterrent to those who may want to pursue such frivolous actions in the future.
We thank our members, supporters and millions of Nigerians who have continued to stand with the party. We urge them to remain focused, united and confident as we continue this journey together.
Signed:
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi
National Publicity Secretary
African Democratic Congress (ADC)
26 JUNE 2026
PRESS STATEMENT
ADC: TINUBU'S STATE POLICE LEGISLATION RUSHED, PANICKY
- NOT A SOLUTION TO ONGOING SECURITY CRISIS
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) supports state police. We have always believed that Nigeria's policing architecture must evolve to reflect the realities of our federal system. But support for state police cannot be confused with support for the Tinubu administration's handling of this important national reform.
What we are witnessing is a hurried response to a worsening security crisis, not the careful institutional planning required to build a functional, accountable, and effective policing system. State police is too important, and the security of Nigerians too urgent, to be reduced to a quick legislative fix or rushed through the National Assembly without the broad consultation such a far-reaching reform demands.
It is equally important to state that there is nothing novel about the idea of state police. Decentralised policing has been part of Nigeria's constitutional and political conversation for decades and today enjoys broad national support. What is new is the attempt by the Tinubu administration to package this long-standing national consensus as a bold new initiative and, worse, to present it as a silver bullet for the country's current security crisis. It is neither. State police is a structural reform whose benefits will only be realised over time. It cannot, by itself, solve today's emergency.
That is why the apparent rush to push this legislation through the National Assembly, without the broad consultation and public engagement that a constitutional reform of this magnitude requires, is both unnecessary and potentially counterproductive. Legislation with such far-reaching implications for every Nigerian, and one that could fundamentally alter the country's constitutional architecture, requires broad consultation and careful reflection. Instead, what we are are seeing is a government in desperate haste to amend the Constitution in order to create the impression that it is doing something about the country's worsening insecurity.
After all, if President Tinubu were genuinely committed to state police, why did it take his administration almost until the end of its tenure to begin rushing through a constitutional amendment?
Nevertheless, passing a law is only the beginning, and probably the easiest part, of a complex process. Recruitment, vetting, training, equipment, funding, command structures, operational guidelines, and independent oversight cannot be created overnight, especially as the country approaches another election cycle. Meanwhile, terrorists, kidnappers, and bandits will not suspend their activities while new institutions are being assembled. Nigerians deserve reforms that are carefully designed to succeed, not reforms designed merely to create the impression that the government is doing something.
The government's approach also leaves fundamental questions unanswered. What safeguards will prevent state police from becoming instruments of political intimidation? What guarantees exist for genuinely independent state legislatures and judiciaries capable of exercising meaningful oversight? Who will regulate recruitment, deployment, discipline and funding? Where are the accompanying reforms to prosecution, correctional services, forensic capacity and intelligence coordination? These are not secondary questions. They are the difference between building a professional police service and creating another institution that may be vulnerable to abuse.
Our attention has been drawn to a story in circulation that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is in talks with another political party, specifically the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), in anticipation of its court judgment.
We would like to state categorically that this is not true.
The coalition leadership is not having any such conversation with any political party at the moment.
We are fully committed to ensuring that the illegal action taken against our leadership by INEC and other agents of the ruling party is upturned. We believe that this is the only path to safeguarding the rule of law and ensuring that multiparty democracy survives in Nigeria.
While we are open to expanding the coalition to bring all opposition elements in the country together to rescue our country, we remain clear about the responsibility that this moment has imposed on us. We will not abdicate that responsibility.
Therefore, any suggestion that we are considering abandoning the ADC is preemptive and speculative, and should be ignored.
Notwithstanding the flagrant bastardisation of democratic institutions, the ADC leadership remains confident that the judicial institutions will, at this defining moment, resist the pressure to be complicit in undermining Nigeria's democracy.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken note of the comments made by Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa concerning the ADC and the state of the opposition.
What Nigerians saw was not the confidence of a leader in control. It was the anxiety of a President increasingly disconnected from the reality of hardship, insecurity, and frustration facing millions of citizens.
At a time when families are battling a historic cost of living crisis, food inflation, rising debt burdens, and collapsing purchasing power, the President chose to mock the opposition instead of addressing the suffering of Nigerians. However, even as he spoke, reports of children being abducted from examination centres were circulating. This is the reality of today’s Nigeria, insecurity spreading deeper into everyday life while government appears distracted.
The President should not be ridiculing the opposition. He should be deeply concerned that the majority of Nigerians have rejected his government, whose ill-conceived policies have ruined lives and destroyed livelihoods. These are the reasons he should be scared, because the people are determined to vote him out.
We also reject the false narrative around the ADC National Convention. We did not hold our convention on the street. If that was the story supplied to the President by agents of disruption, then he has been misinformed.
But even if any opposition party were forced to gather outside established venues, Nigerians would understand why. Under this administration, democratic space has shrunk significantly. No government before now had denied political parties fair access to public venues such as Eagle Square, a national civic ground that belongs to all Nigerians, not to any ruling party.
The President also cannot preach separation of powers while simultaneously assuming the role of interpreter of the law, political referee, and commentator on judicial matters. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot be a President and a judge at the same time.
If this administration truly respected separation of powers, Nigerians would not have witnessed the repeated weakening and humiliation of institutions meant to serve as checks and balances. The legislature, in particular, has too often appeared reduced to an extension of executive convenience.
We also note the President’s recent attempt to ingratiate himself with the supporters of late President Muhammadu Buhari. After years of distancing himself from the late President and denigrating his record, blaming him for every failure of his government, it is hypocritical to suddenly make a U-turn because of the coming election. It is too late.
The issue before the country today is simple: hardship is rising, insecurity is worsening, debt is mounting, and hope is fading. No amount of political theatre can hide that truth.
The ADC remains focused on building a credible alternative anchored on competence, security, prosperity, and democratic freedom. Nigerians deserve better than excuses, propaganda, and power games.
VIDEO: HE Sen. @KwankwasoRM, PhD, FNSE, Today, Friday (17th April 2026), hosted former Vice President, His Excellency Alh. Atiku Abubakar following Jumu’ah prayer at his residence in Maitama, Abuja.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) wishes to reiterate that the tenure of all newly elected State Executives and other party officers shall not commence until the expiration of the tenure of the current executives and their formal inauguration by the Party on May 12, 2026, or on any later date that may be officially communicated.
For the avoidance of doubt, all existing executives remain the duly recognised officers of the Party until the completion of this constitutional transition process.
Accordingly, all newly elected executives, particularly at the state level, are advised to take note and desist from any action, representation, or conduct that may contravene this clear constitutional directive or create confusion within the Party structure.
The ADC remains committed to orderliness, discipline, and strict adherence to its constitution and democratic processes.
PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ADC: Newly Elected Executives Assume Office Only After May 12 Inauguration
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) wishes to reiterate that the tenure of all newly elected State Executives and other party officers shall not commence until the expiration of the tenure of the current executives and their formal inauguration by the Party on May 12, 2026, or on any later date that may be officially communicated.
For the avoidance of doubt, all existing executives remain the duly recognised officers of the Party until the completion of this constitutional transition process.
Accordingly, all newly elected executives, particularly at the state level, are advised to take note and desist from any action, representation, or conduct that may contravene this clear constitutional directive or create confusion within the Party structure.
The ADC remains committed to orderliness, discipline, and strict adherence to its constitution and democratic processes.
Signed:
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi
National Publicity Secretary
African Democratic Congress (ADC)
PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ADC Releases Updated Convention Committee Lists
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has released the updated lists of its Convention Committee and Subcommittees ahead of its forthcoming national convention.
In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the update is aimed at strengthening coordination and ensuring a smooth and credible convention.
The ADC urged all committee members to discharge their responsibilities with diligence and called on stakeholders to support the process.
Signed,
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi
National Publicity Secretary
African Democratic Congress (ADC)
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) congratulates all newly elected State Executives and State Chairmen across the federation on the successful and peaceful conduct of their congresses.
These elections, carried out in line with the provisions of the law and the party’s constitution, reflect the ADC’s enduring commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and the rule of law. We commend all party members and stakeholders for exercising their democratic rights with maturity, discipline, and a shared sense of purpose.
The Party is pleased to announce that the formal inauguration of the newly elected State Executives is scheduled to take place on May 12, 2026, or on a later date to be duly communicated by the National Working Committee.
As you prepare to assume office, we urge all elected officials to remain steadfast in their dedication to the ideals and vision of the party. The task ahead requires unity, discipline, and a continued commitment to building a strong, credible alternative for the Nigerian people.
The ADC remains confident that under your leadership at the state level, the party will continue to grow, deepen its structures, and strengthen its connection with citizens across the country.
Once again, congratulations.
El-Rufai’s continued detention which appears to offend his rights as a citizen should concern Nigerians. We are a country of laws, and all citizens should enjoy their constitutional rights. Govt agency holding him should explain why he is still in detention, or release him now.