The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a purported resignation letter attributed to Nafiu Bala, former Deputy National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), ruling that the document was not genuine evidence of his resignation.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on November 5, 2026, holding that the signature on the disputed letter was materially different from signatures on Bala’s sworn court documents.
The court ruled that the letter could not be relied upon to establish that Bala voluntarily resigned from his position in the party.
The judgment also nullified decisions arising from the ADC’s July 29, 2025 National Executive Committee meeting, which produced the leadership led by former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Justice Lifu further restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or dealing with Mark, Aregbesola and other members of the disputed National Working Committee as legitimate party officials.
The court also invalidated the processes leading to the nomination of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Bala had challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership, arguing that the party’s leadership transition did not comply with the requirements for democratic elections under the Electoral Act 2022.
In its judgment, the court held that INEC’s monitoring of the disputed meeting could not replace the statutory requirement for a democratic election.
The ADC has since filed an appeal challenging the judgment and asked INEC to suspend action on the ruling pending the determination of its appeal.
The decision adds another major development to the ADC’s ongoing leadership crisis and leaves the party’s leadership structure and 2027 electoral preparations subject to further legal proceedings.
