The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has escalated, with a faction led by former Senate President David Mark approaching the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge its de-recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The legal move follows INEC’s April 1 decision to remove the names of Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its official records, citing compliance with a Court of Appeal ruling that ordered parties to maintain the “status quo ante bellum.”
The development has plunged the party into a protracted leadership tussle, with competing claims over control of its structure and direction. The dispute originated from a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership and sought to restrain INEC from recognising it.
Although the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, declined to grant an interim injunction, the matter has since evolved through multiple legal layers. The Court of Appeal dismissed an interlocutory challenge by the Mark faction as premature but directed an accelerated hearing of the substantive case.
INEC subsequently interpreted the appellate court’s directive as grounds to withdraw recognition of the Mark-led leadership—an action now being contested in fresh proceedings.
In a motion filed on April 7 by senior lawyer Sulaiman Usman (SAN), the Mark faction is seeking a mandatory injunction to compel INEC to restore its leadership status pending the determination of the substantive suit. The applicants also want the court to order the electoral body to resume monitoring the party’s congresses and conventions.
They further requested a restraining order preventing INEC from recognising any rival leadership or altering the party’s records until the case is resolved.
The applicants argued that INEC misinterpreted the Court of Appeal’s order, insisting that the “status quo ante bellum” refers to the last uncontested leadership structure prior to the dispute—under which Mark and Aregbesola were duly recognised.
According to the filing, INEC’s action has created a leadership vacuum, disrupted the party’s operations, and risks rendering the subject matter of the suit nugatory. The legal team maintained that the court has the authority to grant interim relief to restore a position wrongfully altered.
In a separate application, the Mark faction is also seeking an accelerated hearing of the case, arguing that the ongoing uncertainty is undermining the party’s internal administration and political participation, while encouraging parallel structures and conflicting claims.
The crisis has drawn wider political attention. A delegation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by its embattled National Chairman Tanimu Turaki, visited the Mark-led ADC leadership in a show of solidarity.
Turaki said the meeting, which included prominent figures such as Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, focused on the shared challenges facing opposition parties and the need to defend democratic pluralism in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Senator Victor Umeh has accused INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan of deliberately undermining the ADC. Umeh argued that disputes over party leadership are internal matters and, based on longstanding Supreme Court precedents and provisions of the Electoral Act, are not subject to judicial intervention.
He described INEC’s reliance on court orders as “misguided” and questioned the legal basis for its actions, insisting that both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal lack jurisdiction over internal party affairs.
As the legal battle intensifies, the outcome of the case is expected to have far-reaching implications not only for the ADC but also for the broader political landscape and the boundaries of judicial involvement in party affairs in Nigeria.
