A Federal High Court has dismissed Dumebi Kachikwu’s suit challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, dismissed the suit filed by a former presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu against the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The ADC on Friday said that it welcomed the Federal High Court’s dismissal of a suit filed by Kachikwu and four others challenging the party.
Justice Abdulmalik predicated her decision on the grounds that the issue brought before her court borders on the internal affairs of a political party which no court has jurisdiction.
Dumebi Kachikwu, Adikwu Elias, Etimbuk Umoh, Muhammad Khala, and Alakum William had dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Senator David Mark, and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to court seeking the sack of the 2nd to 5th defendants as leaders of the ADC.
The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS /1331/2025, was filed last year, while the National Welfare Secretary of the ADC, Nkemakolam Ukandu was joined as an interested party on October 3, 2025.
Ukandu had petitioned Abdulmalik and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho to the National Judicial Council (NJC), over what he claimed to be corrupt and biased tendencies in the manner the matter was being handled.
Besides the petition, Ukandu had also commenced legal action against the Chief Judge and Abdulmalik both at the Federal High Court and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), wherein he had sought an order directing Justice Abdulmalik to recuse herself from further hearing in the case brought by Kachikwu and others.
However, Justice Abdulmalik in a judgement on Friday, dismissed the suit stressing that the issue of membership and leadership of a political party is voluntary and as such any aggrieved person should employ the internal mechanism of the party to resolve such grievances or at best, opt out and join other parties.
She maintained that cases bothering on party membership and leadership are non-justiciable and as such, outside the intervention of her court.
It would be recalled that the opposition coalition had last July, appointed David Mark, a former Senate president; and Rauf Aregbesola, ex-governor of Osun State; as interim National Chairman and Secretary respectively.
Reacting to the judgement, ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the ruling as a victory for the rule of law and urged Nigerians and political leaders who have been “sitting on the fence” to join the party through its ongoing online registration.
He also called on the judiciary to remain apolitical in the interest of democracy, while assuring that the ADC would continue to resist attempts to destabilise the party and undermine its internal processes.
The ADC said that judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Hon. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, which dismissed the suit filed by Kachikwu and four others against the party is victory for democracy and rule of law.
According to the spokesman of the ADC, ”This judgement is a welcome affirmation of the well-established legal principle that political parties retain the constitutional right to manage their internal affairs without undue interference.”
The ADC commended the judiciary “for once again demonstrating its commitment to upholding the rule of law, while we remain suspicious and vigilant about the ruling party’s grand plan to foist a fait accompli on Nigerians in 2027.”
In the same token, Abdullahi said, ”we urge the courts to remain apolitical and not allow itself to be used in undermining Nigeria’s democracy.
”This moment should also serve as a call to action for citizens and leaders across the country who have been sitting on the fence. The time to act is now. Nigeria needs a strong, credible, and organised opposition, and the ADC remains committed to providing that platform.
”We therefore encourage Nigerians who believe in democratic renewal and responsible leadership to join the growing movement by registering through www.adcregistration.ng and participating actively in the rebuilding of our country.
”The ADC will also remain vigilant and resolute. We will continue to resist all attempts to distract, destabilise, or undermine the party’s democratic processes. Our focus remains clear: to build a strong political institution capable of offering Nigerians a credible alternative and restoring hope in our democratic system,” Abdullahi stated.