The leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order to overturn the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to de-recognize its executives.
INEC had, on April 1, removed the names of Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its official portal, triggering the legal challenge.
In a motion filed on April 7 by his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), Mark asked Justice Emeka Nwite to issue a mandatory injunction nullifying INEC’s actions, including its refusal to monitor the party’s congresses and convention pending the determination of the suit.
The ADC chairman also urged the court to compel INEC to immediately restore and maintain the names of all members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in its records, as they existed before the dispute.
Additionally, the motion seeks an order restraining INEC from recognizing any rival leadership or tampering with the party’s records until the case is resolved.
The application follows a March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal in a suit filed by Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe. Mark’s legal team argued that the appellate court had directed all parties to maintain the “status quo ante bellum,” meaning the last uncontested leadership structure before the dispute began.
According to the lawyer, as of September 2, 2025—when the suit was instituted—Mark was the duly recognized national chairman, and the party’s leadership structure was already in place.
He contended that INEC misinterpreted the appellate court’s ruling by removing the leadership from its portal, thereby creating a vacuum and undermining the party’s operations.
Usman further argued that the commission’s actions could render the suit ineffective and prejudice the positions of Mark and Aregbesola, insisting that the court has the power to grant interim relief to restore the status quo.
In a separate motion, Mark also requested an accelerated hearing of the case, citing the need to resolve the leadership dispute quickly due to its impact on the party’s administration and participation in political activities.
The legal dispute stems from an earlier suit filed by Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of ADC, who challenged the party’s leadership. Justice Nwite had previously declined to grant an ex-parte request to halt the Mark-led leadership, instead directing all parties to be put on notice.
The matter is expected to continue before the Federal High Court as parties seek a definitive resolution to the leadership crisis within the ADC.
