A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a resignation letter allegedly signed by the factional National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nafiu Bala, ruling that the disputed document was not established as authentic.
The court held that the signature on the letter, which the party relied upon to establish that Bala had voluntarily resigned as deputy national chairman, was materially different from his signatures on other documents tendered before the court.
In a judgment delivered on November 5, 2026, Justice Peter Lifu also nullified the emergence of the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the ADC, declaring its actions and decisions, including the nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election, invalid.
Gists9ja reports that Bala had approached the court to challenge the emergence of former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the ADC’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
Their emergence followed the party’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025, after the resignation of former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
Bala told the court that he was elected Deputy National Chairman on October 12, 2022, for a four-year tenure expected to end on October 11, 2026.
He maintained that he was the only elected member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) who had not resigned following the departure of other members.
He argued that vacancies within the NWC could only be filled through democratic elections involving delegates, in accordance with the party’s constitution, the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.
The plaintiff alleged that Mark, Aregbesola and 49 others were appointed and ratified as NWC members during the July 29 meeting without being democratically elected.
He also challenged the notice convening the meeting, arguing that it failed to contain the required agenda and the names of members of the committee responsible for organising the meeting.
Bala further accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of failing to discharge its statutory responsibilities by monitoring the meeting, issuing a report and subsequently recognising the new leadership.
Disputed Resignation Letter
A major issue in the case was a resignation letter dated May 17, 2025, which the ADC presented as Exhibit ADC 1, alongside a forwarding letter marked Exhibit ADC 2.
Bala denied signing the documents, describing the disputed signature as a “forged and poor imitation” of his authentic signature.
However, the ADC and other defendants maintained that he voluntarily resigned through the letter and therefore lacked the legal standing to challenge subsequent decisions of the party.
The defendants argued that the party’s constitution empowered the NEC to dissolve the NWC, waive certain membership requirements and appoint or elect national officers between national conventions.
They also insisted that the July 29 meeting was properly convened, monitored by INEC and conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution.
The defendants further argued that the dispute concerned the internal affairs of a political party and was therefore not subject to judicial intervention.
Aregbesola separately challenged Bala’s membership status, alleging that he had failed to renew his membership for more than six months. He also filed a counterclaim seeking N850 million in costs.
However, resolving the dispute over the resignation letter, Justice Lifu held that the certification of the document did not automatically establish that Bala personally signed it.
The judge said a comparison of the signature on the disputed letter with those on Bala’s witness statements revealed significant differences.
“The fact that a document is certified, however, does not, by that fact alone, settle a genuine dispute as to whether the person named in it actually signed it,” Lifu held.
He added that he was not satisfied that the disputed letter represented Bala’s genuine act and consequently rejected it as reliable evidence of his resignation.
“Accordingly, Exhibit ADC 1 is hereby held not to constitute a valid or established resignation letter of the Plaintiff, and the Defendants cannot rely on it to establish that he relinquished his office before the events giving rise to this suit. I so hold,” the judge ruled.
Why Court Nullified David Mark-Led ADC Leadership
On the legality of the Mark-led leadership, Justice Lifu held that the defendants failed to establish that the process through which the new officers emerged complied with the mandatory requirement for democratic elections under Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.
According to the judge, there was no satisfactory evidence that party members or duly elected delegates were given the opportunity to participate in an election and vote for candidates of their choice.
The court also rejected the argument that INEC’s monitoring of the July 29 meeting validated the emergence of the new leadership.
“The fact that INEC received notice of the meeting and monitored its proceedings does not fill this evidential gap. Notice to the Commission and democratic election are separate requirements, and proof of the former is not proof of the latter,” Lifu said.
The judge further held that the powers granted to the NEC under the ADC constitution could not override constitutional and statutory provisions requiring democratic elections for political party executive positions.
Consequently, the court granted Bala’s substantive reliefs and nullified the relevant actions and decisions arising from the July 29, 2025 NEC meeting.
The ruling also invalidated the David Mark-led leadership’s decision to recognise Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
