A fresh crisis has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a faction led by former Senate President David Mark has taken the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over the removal of key party leaders from its official records.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, follows INEC’s decision on April 1 to delete the names of David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its portal. The development has further deepened the leadership dispute within the party.
In a motion dated April 7, filed through his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), Mark is seeking a court order compelling INEC to reverse the decision. The faction is asking the court to immediately restore the names of the National Working Committee (NWC) members as they existed before the crisis began.
Part of the application reads: “An order of mandatory injunction, setting aside the decision, act, or directive of the respondent removing the names of the applicant’s National Working Committee from its official portal and the decision of refusal to attend or monitor the applicant’s congresses or convention pending the hearing and determination of the suit.”
The faction also requested “an order of mandatory injunction, directing INEC to forthwith restore and maintain records of the names of Senator David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, as well as all members of the National Executive Committee.”
In addition, the plaintiffs are seeking an order restraining INEC from “tampering with, or otherwise interfering with” the party’s leadership records or recognizing any rival claims pending the final determination of the case.
The legal battle is linked to an earlier ruling by the Court of Appeal delivered on March 12, which directed all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum—meaning the situation should remain as it was before the dispute arose. The original suit was filed by a former deputy national chairman of the party, Nafiu Gombe, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court.
Arguing before the court, Usman stated that as of September 2, 2025, when the case was instituted, David Mark was the recognized national chairman of the party. He maintained that the leadership structure was already in place and that the plaintiff had resigned from his previous position, leaving him without any subsisting role within the party.
According to the lawyer, INEC misinterpreted the appellate court’s directive by removing the names of the party’s leaders. He argued that the action has created confusion and effectively resulted in a lack of recognition for the existing leadership, contrary to the intention of the court’s ruling.
“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 equitable jurisdiction of this honourable court,” Usman submitted.
In a separate motion also filed on April 7, the Mark-led faction is requesting an accelerated hearing of the case, citing its urgency and potential impact on the party’s operations. The application seeks a shortening of the time allowed for filing court processes and proposes daily hearings until the matter is resolved.
The lawyer warned that the ongoing dispute is already disrupting the internal functioning of the African Democratic Congress and could lead to the emergence of parallel leadership structures if not promptly addressed.
“The continued pendency of the suit is capable of rendering the subject matter nugatory,” he argued, emphasizing the need for swift judicial intervention.
Court records indicate that the leadership crisis dates back to September 2025, when the trial court declined an ex parte application by Gombe seeking to halt the activities of the Mark-led leadership. Instead, the court directed all parties to appear and present their arguments.
Following that decision, the Mark-led faction approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction of the lower court. The appellate court subsequently directed all parties to return to the Federal High Court and maintain the existing leadership structure pending the resolution of the case.
In the substantive suit, Gombe listed the African Democratic Congress, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Independent National Electoral Commission, and former national chairman Ralph Nwosu as defendants.
Nwosu had earlier stepped down from his position, paving the way for the emergence of Mark as national chairman, a development that has since become a central issue in the ongoing dispute.
Political observers say the latest legal action underscores the deepening divisions within the party and raises concerns about its stability ahead of future elections. The outcome of the case is expected to have significant implications for the leadership structure of the ADC and its role in Nigeria’s political landscape.
