The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that it recognises only the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) headed by former Senate President David Mark for candidate nominations ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.
The electoral commission disclosed that the Mark-led leadership has already submitted candidates for 471 elective positions, including presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives seats, following a Supreme Court judgment affirming its leadership of the opposition party.
Speaking to The PUNCH, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna said the commission granted the Mark-led National Executive Committee access to its secure candidate nomination portal based on the apex court’s ruling, while denying similar access to a rival faction.
“Yes, we gave the Mark-led faction the code based on the recent Supreme Court judgment that affirmed his leadership of the party,” Haruna said.
According to him, the faction has submitted candidates for two presidential positions, 109 Senate seats and 360 House of Representatives constituencies, bringing the total number of nominations to 471.
Haruna added that the Supreme Court judgment did not authorise INEC to accept submissions from the rival faction, whose appeal for recognition had already failed.
ADC Demands Investigation Over Alleged False Claims
The development comes amid an intensifying leadership dispute within the ADC after the party accused a rival factional leader, Nafiu Bala Gombe, of falsely claiming access to INEC’s restricted nomination portal.
In a statement issued by National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the party welcomed INEC’s clarification that Bala was never granted access to the commission’s nomination system and described documents circulating online as false.
The ADC alleged that the claims amounted to an attempt to mislead the public and called on security agencies to investigate the matter.
The party urged INEC and relevant law enforcement agencies to prosecute anyone found responsible for falsely claiming to have submitted candidates through the commission’s secured platform.
According to the ADC, falsely presenting oneself as having access to INEC’s restricted nomination portal raises serious legal and electoral concerns.
Court of Appeal Judgment Fuels Leadership Dispute
The controversy follows a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on Monday, which upheld an earlier Federal High Court ruling restraining INEC from recognising state congresses conducted by caretaker committees appointed by the David Mark-led leadership.
The appellate court, in a split decision of two to one, affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which held that the dissolution of the party’s state executives violated the ADC constitution.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court had ruled that the party’s state executives were improperly dissolved before the expiration of their tenure and that the power to conduct state congresses remained with the elected state executives.
The judgment stemmed from a suit filed by seven aggrieved ADC state chairmen who challenged their removal and the appointment of caretaker committees to organise state congresses.
INEC Yet to Determine Impact of Appeal Judgment
Despite the Court of Appeal ruling, INEC said its recognition of the Mark-led leadership and the candidate nominations submitted through its portal remain based on the earlier Supreme Court judgment.
Haruna noted that the commission would study the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the latest appellate court judgment before taking any further position on its implications.
“INEC cannot say anything until we see the judgment. We have to study the details before the commission takes a position,” he said.
ADC Says Candidate Nominations Remain Valid
The ADC insisted that the Court of Appeal decision relates only to the conduct of ward, local government and state congresses and does not invalidate the party’s primary elections or the emergence of its candidates for the 2027 elections.
According to the party, the judgment has no effect on the direct primaries through which its candidates were nominated, maintaining that all candidates submitted by the David Mark-led leadership remain valid.
Why It Matters
INEC’s confirmation provides greater clarity over which faction it officially recognises as the legitimate leadership of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general election. The decision also removes uncertainty over the validity of the 471 candidates already submitted through the commission’s nomination portal, although the broader leadership dispute remains subject to ongoing legal proceedings and further interpretation of recent court rulings.
