David Mark Takes Legal Action Against INEC Over ADC Leadership Removal
Former Senate President, David Mark, has escalated the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by filing a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The legal challenge, initiated at the Federal High Court in Abuja, contests INEC's decision to delist Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from its official portal on April 1, where they were listed as National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
Details of the Legal Motion and Court Proceedings
In a motion filed on April 7 by his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), Mark is seeking a mandatory injunction to compel INEC to reverse the removal. He requests the court to set aside the delisting of the ADC National Working Committee (NWC) from INEC's records and to direct the electoral body to restore and maintain the party's leadership names pending the suit's determination. Additionally, Mark aims to restrain INEC from recognizing any rival leadership or interfering with the party's internal records.
Mark has further urged presiding judge Emeka Nwite to nullify INEC's refusal to monitor the ADC's congresses and convention. The legal action arises from conflicting interpretations of a March 12 Court of Appeal judgment, which directed parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum—the last uncontested state before the dispute. Mark's legal team argues that as of September 2, 2025, when the suit was instituted, he remained the recognized National Chairman, and INEC's delisting was based on a misinterpretation of the appellate court's directive.
Impact on Party Operations and Accelerated Hearing Request
According to Mark's lawyers, INEC's action has created a leadership vacuum within the ADC, undermining its operations and political participation, and risks rendering the suit's subject matter nugatory. In a separate motion, the Mark-led faction is seeking an accelerated hearing of the case, urging the court to abridge timelines for filing processes and conduct day-to-day proceedings until final determination. The applicants contend that the ongoing uncertainty has disrupted the party's internal administration, encouraged parallel leadership claims, and fostered institutional confusion.
Background and Origin of the Dispute
The dispute originated from a suit filed by Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, challenging the party's leadership structure. In an earlier ruling, the Federal High Court declined an ex parte application to restrain the Mark-led leadership and instead directed that all parties be put on notice. The Court of Appeal subsequently ordered parties to return to the trial court and maintain the status quo pending the case's determination. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, lists the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, INEC, and former National Chairman Chief Ralph Nwosu as defendants.
