The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed concerns that the recent Court of Appeal judgment affecting its internal leadership structure will impact its presidential ticket or preparations for the 2027 general elections.
​The party’s assurance follows a split two-to-one majority judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday, July 13, 2026. The appellate court affirmed a Federal High Court ruling by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing or participating in state congresses organized by committees appointed by the party’s Senator David Mark-led caretaker committee.
​In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang and supported by Justice Donatus Okorowo, the court held that the authority to conduct state congresses belongs strictly to elected state executive committees rather than a national caretaker leadership. The court subsequently nullified the congresses and national convention previously conducted under Senator Mark’s interim administration, citing a violation of a subsisting April court order.
​Responding to apprehensions within the political space, the ADC leadership stated that the judicial decision is strictly an internal administrative matter focused on organizational guidelines and will not jeopardize the party’s legal standing or its planned 2027 presidential ticket.
​Party officials emphasized that the structural dispute does not affect the validity of the party’s core operations or its national platform. The clarification comes amid a busy political season for the ADC, which recently positioned itself prominently for the upcoming election cycle by unveiling a joint ticket featuring former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Legal representatives for the party indicated that while they review the appellate court’s split decision, noting the dissenting view of Justice Abba Mohammed, who argued the matter was a non-justiciable internal party affair, the party remains fully intact, legally compliant, and focused on its momentum ahead of the 2027 polls.
