In a statement issued on Thursday, ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, stated that the reports suggesting a court order was issued to restrain the new leadership were not only misleading but entirely false. According to Abdullahi, the rumour is the latest move by political opponents following their unsuccessful attempt to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the party’s leadership change.
The ADC has recently been embroiled in internal leadership disputes, which intensified after INEC formally acknowledged the new leadership structure with Mark and Aregbesola at the helm.
By Thursday morning, several media platforms reported that Nafiu Bala Gombe, who has declared himself a factional chairman of the party, had secured a court order barring the current leadership from functioning. However, the ADC insists that no such injunction exists.
“The African Democratic Congress wishes to set the record straight regarding false reports currently circulating in the media about the recent ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, concerning the leadership of our great party,” Abdullahi said in the statement.
“Contrary to some misleading publications, the court did not issue any order restraining Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from functioning as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the ADC, respectively. Instead, the Honourable Court refused the ex-parte application brought by Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe and directed that thematter proceed with due process,” he clarified.
Abdullahi went on to explain that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court delivered a ruling on September 4, 2025, refusing the ex-parte motion filed by Gombe on September 2. The judge ordered that the defendants be notified and directed them to appear before the court to respond.
The statement detailed the court’s directives: “That the Plaintiff/Applicant’s application dated and filed on September 2, 2025, is refused. That the Plaintiff/Applicant is hereby directed to put the Defendants on notice. That the Defendants/Respondents are ordered to appear before this Honourable Court to show cause why the application should not be granted. That the case is adjourned to September 15, 2025, for the Defendants/Respondents to show cause.”
The ruling, signed by Justice Nwite and certified by Federal High Court Registrar Kasope Kafayat Bola, did not contain any order barring the current leadership from performing their roles.
Describing the contrary media reports as deliberate misrepresentation, Abdullahi accused political actors of engaging in propaganda to destabilise the party.
“Having failed to stop INEC from acknowledging the leadership change in ADC, the political Jobbers are now resorting to fake news,” the party’s spokesperson added. “This goes to show that these agents of destabilisation will stop at nothing, including misrepresenting court rulings, in their desperate efforts to sow confusion and further undermine opposition parties.”
He further urged the media and the general public to be cautious about false narratives and misinformation, particularly those being peddled by what he described as agents aligned with the ruling party.
