A faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore its leadership on the commission’s official records.
The suit followed INEC’s decision on April 1 to remove the names of Mark, listed as national chairman, and Rauf Aregbesola, national secretary, from its portal amid the party’s leadership crisis.
In the motion filed through his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), the faction is asking the court to issue a mandatory injunction directing INEC to reinstate the party’s national working committee as it existed before the dispute.
Part of the relief sought includes “an order of mandatory injunction… setting aside the decision… removing the names of the applicant’s National Working Committee… 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 wants the court to compel INEC to “forthwith restore and maintain” the names of Mark and Aregbesola, alongside other national executive members, while restraining the commission from recognising any rival leadership pending the outcome of the case.
The legal action stems from a March 12 ruling by the Court of Appeal, which directed all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum — the last uncontested leadership structure before the dispute.
Mark’s legal team argued that INEC misinterpreted the ruling by deleting the leadership names, thereby creating a vacuum within the party and undermining ongoing proceedings.
“The law is settled that a mandatory injunction may be granted… to restore a party to the position wrongfully altered,” Usman argued, describing the case as fit for the court’s equitable intervention.
In a separate application, the faction is also seeking an accelerated hearing, warning that the prolonged dispute could destabilise the party and lead to the emergence of parallel leadership structures.
The crisis dates back to September 2025, when litigation was initiated by Nafiu Gombe, a former deputy national chairman, challenging the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership.
The case, which also lists former party chairman Ralph Nwosu among the defendants, continues to deepen divisions within the ADC and stall its political activities ahead of future elections.
