By Patience Tarhemba
The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken a fresh turn following revelations that a Federal High Court in Abuja rejected a disputed resignation letter allegedly written by the party’s former Deputy National Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe.
The development has further complicated the party’s leadership dispute and raised questions about the political platform through which former Vice President Atiku Abubakar intends to contest the 2027 presidential election.
In a judgment delivered on November 5, Justice Peter Lifu nullified the emergence of the National Working Committee (NWC) led by former Senate President David Mark, declaring all decisions taken by the committee from July 29, 2025, invalid.
The ruling also casts uncertainty over the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate, as actions taken under the disputed leadership structure were declared null and void.
Details of the certified judgment, which became available to journalists on Wednesday, November 11, showed that the court rejected the resignation letter presented to establish that Gombe had voluntarily relinquished his position before the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.
Gombe had approached the court to challenge the leadership transition, arguing that vacancies created by the resignation of the former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, and other party officials should have been filled through a properly conducted election.
He maintained that he was elected Deputy National Chairman on October 12, 2022, for a four-year tenure and had neither resigned nor vacated the office.
However, the disputed resignation letter became a major point of contention in the case, with the opposing faction relying on it to argue that Gombe had relinquished his position.
Rejecting the document, Justice Lifu held that its certification did not, in itself, establish that Gombe personally signed it.
The judge said a comparison of the signature on the disputed letter with those appearing on Gombe’s sworn court documents revealed material differences, making the document unreliable as evidence of voluntary resignation.
Despite rejecting the resignation letter, the court stopped short of declaring Gombe the substantive National Chairman of the ADC, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to recognise him as the only elected member of the party’s NWC whose four-year tenure remained valid.
The court also restrained INEC from recognising or dealing with Mark, former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola and other members of the disputed committee as national officers of the party.
The judgment has consequently placed the ADC’s leadership structure and the political arrangements surrounding Atiku’s emergence as its presidential candidate under renewed legal scrutiny.
However, the party has rejected the ruling and vowed to challenge it at the Court of Appeal.
The ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, insisted that Gombe voluntarily resigned from his position, claiming that the party was in possession of the original resignation letter bearing his signature.
Abdullahi accused the judge of disregarding evidence the party intended to present and maintained that the document was authentic.
He said the party would appeal the judgment, arguing that the question of the disputed signature should be resolved through the appropriate judicial process.
The ADC also contended that the November 5 ruling was inconsistent with an earlier Federal High Court judgment which, according to the party, recognised the Mark-led leadership.
Meanwhile, INEC has said it would study the certified judgment and seek legal advice before determining the steps required of the commission.
National Commissioner and Chairman of the commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this on Wednesday during a webinar organised by the Punch Media Foundation.
He said INEC’s legal department would examine the judgment and submit its recommendations to the relevant committee and the commission for consideration.
The controversy has also triggered protests by ADC members and supporters at the Federal High Court premises in Abuja, where they demanded the release of the certified judgment to enable the party pursue its appeal.
In a separate development, the Forum of ADC Candidates in Nigeria has petitioned international organisations and diplomatic missions, including the United Nations, United States Embassy, British High Commission and European Union, over what it described as delays in obtaining the certified judgment.
The candidates expressed concern that implementing the ruling before the determination of an appeal could affect their participation in the 2027 general elections.
Although the judgment has introduced uncertainty into the ADC’s leadership arrangements and Atiku’s planned presidential nomination, the final implications will depend on the outcome of the appeal and any subsequent judicial decisions.
For now, the party faces the task of resolving its leadership dispute and clarifying its legal status as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
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