ADC Leadership Crisis: Mark Asks Court to Reverse INEC Derecognition

The leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to overturn the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which derecognised the party’s leadership.

In a motion on notice dated April 7 and filed by his counsel, Sulaiman Usman, Mark urged Justice Emeka Nwite to grant a mandatory injunction setting aside INEC’s refusal to monitor the party’s congresses and convention, pending the determination of the suit.

He also sought an order compelling INEC to immediately restore and maintain the names of members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on its records and portal, as they existed prior to the dispute.

INEC had, on April 1, removed the names of Mark, as National Chairman, and Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary of the ADC, from its official portal.

The application follows a March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal in a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, which directed parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum.

Mark’s counsel argued that the directive refers to the last uncontested leadership structure prior to the institution of the suit, noting that as of September 2, 2025, Mark was the recognised national chairman of the party.

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 structure.

“The law is settled that a mandatory injunction may be granted at an interlocutory stage to restore a party to the position wrongfully altered. This is a proper case for the exercise of the court’s equitable jurisdiction,” Usman argued.

The plaintiff is also seeking an order restraining INEC from recognising any parallel leadership or interfering with the existing structure pending the final determination of the case.

In a separate motion, Mark is requesting accelerated hearing of the suit, citing the far-reaching implications of the dispute on the party’s internal administration and participation in political activities.

Usman urged the court to abridge the time for filing processes and to hear the matter on a day-to-day basis, in line with the Court of Appeal’s directive for expeditious handling.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, lists the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, INEC, and Ralph Nwosu as defendants.

The dispute originated from a suit filed by Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, challenging the leadership structure that emerged after Nwosu stepped down for Mark.

Justice Nwite had earlier declined an ex-parte application seeking to halt the Mark-led leadership, directing instead that all parties be put on notice.

Following the ruling, the Mark-led faction approached the Court of Appeal, which ordered parties to return to the lower court while maintaining the existing situation pending the resolution of the case.