The African Democratic Congress (ADC) leadership under David Mark has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to overturn the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which removed its recognition of the party’s current leadership. INEC had earlier acted based on an appellate court ruling delivered on April 1, which led to the removal of the names of David Mark as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its official records and website.
The dispute stems from competing claims over the party’s leadership. An aggrieved member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nafiu Bala Gombe, had filed a suit seeking to restrain INEC from recognising the David Mark-led faction. However, Justice Emeka Nwite initially declined to grant an ex parte injunction and instead ordered that the defendants be notified.
In response, the Mark-led ADC leadership challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, arguing that internal party matters are not justiciable and that the court had already become functus officio after refusing the initial injunction request.The Court of Appeal later dismissed the appeal as premature and ordered an accelerated hearing of the substantive case at the trial court, while also directing that the status quo be maintained. This development influenced INEC’s decision to delist the Mark-led leadership from its portal.
The ADC leadership has now returned to court seeking a mandatory injunction compelling INEC to restore recognition of its National Working Committee and halt any interference in the party’s internal affairs pending determination of the substantive suit. The motion, filed by senior advocate Sulaiman Usman, also asks the court to set aside INEC’s actions, restore the names of David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, and prevent recognition of any rival leadership claims.
The applicants argue that INEC misinterpreted the appellate court’s ruling and that its actions have created a leadership vacuum within the party. They maintain that the “status quo ante bellum” refers to the situation before the dispute, when the Mark-led executive was recognised. They further contend that the ongoing uncertainty is disrupting the party’s internal administration, political participation, and overall stability.
In a separate application, the ADC leadership also requested accelerated hearing of the case, arguing that the dispute raises fundamental issues affecting party governance and democratic participation, and should be resolved without delay to avoid further confusion.
Source: https://www.thisdaylive.com/
