David Mark Files Suit Against INEC Over ADC Leadership

The leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Senate President David Mark, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to overturn a decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that removed key party officials from its records.

INEC had, on April 1, deleted the names of Mark as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its official website and portal, a move that has deepened the party’s internal crisis.

In a motion filed on April 7 by his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), Mark urged Justice Emeka Nwite to grant a mandatory injunction compelling INEC to restore the names of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) members pending the determination of the substantive suit.

He also asked the court to set aside INEC’s refusal to monitor or attend the ADC’s congresses and convention, arguing that such actions undermine the party’s operations

Specifically, Mark is seeking an order directing INEC to immediately reinstate and maintain the names of himself, Aregbesola, and other members of the National Executive Committee in its official records. He further requested that the court restrain the electoral body from recognising or acting on any rival leadership claims until the case is resolved.

The application follows a March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe. Mark’s legal team argued that the appellate court had ordered all parties to maintain the “status quo ante bellum”—the last uncontested state of affairs before the dispute began.

According to Usman, as of September 2, 2025, when the suit was instituted, Mark was the duly recognised National Chairman of the party, and the leadership structure in question was already in place.

He added that the plaintiff had resigned from his previous position and no longer held any role within the ADC at the time, insisting that INEC’s actions disrupted an already established leadership order.

The court is expected to determine whether to grant the interim reliefs while the substantive case continues.