Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s media aide, Paul Ibe, has criticised former senator Shehu Sani over his reaction to the Federal High Court judgment affirming the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Ibe argued that some members of the judiciary helped sustain President Bola Tinubu’s mandate.

Ibe made the remarks on Thursday in a post on X while responding to Shehu Sani’s comment following the court’s ruling in favour of former Senate President David Mark-led ADC leadership.

Reacting to the judgment, Shehu Sani wrote: “Now that the High Court has ruled in favour of Mark and against Nafiu, the Judiciary will now be called the ‘last hope of the common man’; It also means that there is no plot to impose a ‘one party state’.”

Responding, Ibe rejected Sani’s position, alleging that some judges had played a role in upholding Tinubu’s electoral victory.

“Hell no, @ShehuSani! Are you talking about the same judiciary, specifically the bench that some of its ignoble members have been standing on Tinubu’s mandate? Some of our politicians should infact be sent on attachment or refresher courses in the art of politicking to some of the judges. #Lifusprudence,” Ibe wrote.

DAILY POST reports that the exchange followed Thursday’s judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which affirmed the leadership of the ADC headed by former Senate President David Mark.

Justice Musa Liman dismissed a suit filed by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide challenging the party’s leadership structure, holding that the case lacked merit and was not justiciable because it concerned the internal affairs of a political party.

The court also upheld the preliminary objections filed by the ADC, its former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, incumbent National Chairman David Mark, and National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, ruling that Abejide failed to establish that any of his legal rights had been violated by the emergence of the current leadership.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday affirmed Sen David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Justice Musa Liman, in a judgment, also dismissed the suit filed by Rep. Leke Abejide challenging Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary of the party for lacking in merit.

Justice Liman upheld the preliminary objections filed by ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark and Aregbesola, which challenged Abejide’s suit.

The judge held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to dabble into the internal affairs of ADC, as the suit was non-justiciable.

He also held that Abejide lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having failed to show to the court that his rights had been violated in any way as a result of the emergence of Mark-led leadership.

He equally held that Abejide, who is a member of the House of Representatives, failed to explore the party’s internal mechanism for dispute resolution.

Justice Liman also resolved the three issues in the substantive suit in favour of the defendants.

On whether Mark, the former Senate president, and Aregbesola, who was the former Governor of Osun, emerged as leaders of the party in compliance with the enabling laws, the judge resolved this against Abejide, the plaintiff in the suit.

He held that the handing over of the leadership of the party by Nwosu to Mark did not violate the provisions of the party’s constitution.

The judge agreed that the disputed July 2, 2025, meeting of the party was a stakeholder meeting which preceded the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025, that produced Mark and Aregbesola as party leaders, which was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Liman, therefore, declared that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as leaders of the ADC was valid and in accordance with the constitution, the Electoral Act, 2026 and the party’s law.

The judge consequently awarded a fine of N2 million each in favour of all the defendants, which shall be paid by Abejide.

He also awarded a N10 million fine against Abejide’s lawyer in compliance with the Electoral Act, 2026.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abejide had instituted the suit to stop Mark-led leadership of ADC.

In the originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025 and filed on Feb. 15 by Idris, the lawmaker sued ADC, Ralph Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola and INEC as the 1st to 5th defendants, respectively.

NAN reports that Nwosu was the former national chairman of ADC who stepped down for Mark, the ex-Senate president.

Abejide, among the eight reliefs, sought an order nullifying Nwosu’s handover or transfer of ADC’s leadership to Mark and Aregbesola as interim national chairman and interim national secretary, respectively, on July 2, 2025, at Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja, for being illegal, unlawful, null and void.

He sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as leaders of the party “as their purported appointment, selection or election was unlawful, illegal, null and void.”

He also sought a perpetual injunction, restraining INEC from recognising Mark and Aregbesola as ADC’s interim national chairman and interim national secretary.

He alleged that their appointment. selection or election did not meet the requirements of Section 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022″, among other prayers. (NAN)

ABUJA — The vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election, Rotimi Amaechi, on Thursday held a closed-door meeting with former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, in Abuja.

Although details of the meeting were not immediately disclosed, it comes amid ongoing political consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The meeting also followed the upload of the names of the ADC’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Amaechi, on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal as part of preparations for the 2027 elections.

Amaechi was recently unveiled by the ADC as the party’s vice-presidential candidate, completing the party’s presidential ticket for the forthcoming polls.

Thursday’s meeting also came shortly after a Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed the leadership of former Senate President David Mark as National Chairman of the ADC.

While the outcome of the Amaechi-Tambuwal meeting was not made public as of press time, political observers believe it is part of ongoing consultations and strategic engagements within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.