- ADC had sued INEC over the removal of its leaders from official records
- The party had sought a court order to restore David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola
- The dispute had stemmed from an earlier court ruling and internal leadership crisis
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove its top officials from official records.
The legal action followed INEC’s deletion of the names of Senator David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its official portal on 1 April, a move that has sparked fresh controversy within the party.
In a motion filed on 7 April, Mark, through his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), urged the court to intervene and restore the names of the party’s National Working Committee members to their previous positions before the dispute arose.
Part of the application sought “an order of mandatory injunction” to set aside INEC’s action, describing the removal as unlawful and disruptive to the party’s internal structure.
The ADC also asked the court to compel INEC to continue recognising Mark, Aregbesola, and other members of the National Executive Committee as the legitimate leadership of the party. Furthermore, it requested an order restraining the electoral body from recognising any rival leadership or tampering with its records pending the determination of the suit.
The dispute is linked to an earlier judgment by the Court of Appeal delivered on 12 March in a related case involving a former deputy national chairman of the party, Nafiu Gombe.
Usman argued that the appellate court had directed all parties to maintain the status quo until the matter was fully resolved. He maintained that as of 2 September 2025, when the suit was instituted, Mark remained the duly recognised National Chairman.
He accused INEC of misinterpreting the court’s directive, stating that the removal of the names had created confusion and instability within the party.
Citing established legal principles, the lawyer contended that a mandatory injunction could be granted to restore a party to a position that had been wrongfully altered.
He also called for an expedited hearing, warning that the protracted leadership crisis could disrupt party operations and potentially lead to the emergence of parallel structures.
Court filings indicate that the dispute began in September 2025 when Gombe initiated legal proceedings challenging the party’s leadership, prompting subsequent rulings by both the trial court and the Court of Appeal directing parties to maintain the status quo.
ADC crisis deepens as Bala confirms presence at leadership meeting
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the internal crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has intensified, as factional national chairman Nafiu Bala confirmed that he was present at the meeting where an interim leadership led by former Senate President David Mark was installed in July 2025.
The development marks a significant moment in the party’s ongoing leadership dispute, which has since split the ADC into two factions—one aligned with Mark and the other led by Bala.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) further complicated the situation on Wednesday by announcing that it would not recognise either faction, citing a Court of Appeal ruling delivered on 12 March.