The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate Sen. David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as its National Chairman and National Secretary.
The lawsuit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025) was triggered by INEC’s April 1st decision to scrub their names—and those of other National Working Committee (NWC) members—from its official portal.
In a motion filed on April 7, counsel Sulaiman Usman, SAN, requested a mandatory injunction to restore the party leadership to its original status.
The application relies on the court’s inherent jurisdiction and the 2019 Civil Procedure Rules to seek three primary legal reliefs.
Part of the relief 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.
“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.
“An order restraining INEC from tampering with, or otherwise interfering with, the said leadership records, or recognising any contrary or competing claims, pending the final determination of the suit.”
The suit arose from the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal in a leadership dispute initiated by a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Nafiu Gombe, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court.
In a supporting affidavit, Usman argued that the appellate court had directed parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum, describing it as the last uncontested state of affairs before the dispute.
Meanwhile, immediate past National Chairman of ADC, Ralph Nwosu, yesterday, said the party will continue preparations for its convention and congresses and won’t be distracted by the leadership crisis rocking the party, which parades some of the biggest opposition politicians in Nigeria.
On a day that the Nafiu Gombe-led factioan of the party held a counter-protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Nwosu, who is backing the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the ADC spoke during an interview on Channels Television.
This was as Civil Society Organisations, CSOs alleged that the Professor Joash Amupitan-led INEC was out to crown President Bola Tinubu; and a chieftain of the ADC, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, added that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, does not want elections in 2027.
Insisting that the ADC is moving on with its plans ahead of the 2027 general elections despite INEC’s de-recognition of the Mark and Gombe camps citing court order, Nwosu said: “We are taking the necessary action both in court and with INEC, but we will not allow INEC to derail any of our programmes. After that malicious INEC release, our chairman and the rest of us sat together and decided to move ahead.
“We submitted our programme to INEC according to the law, and they endorsed it—all the dates were endorsed. By the electoral law, whether they show up or not is their own volition; we have not violated anything
“The congresses have already started. Our national convention, slated for the 14th , will also go on, where we will validate everything we’ve done. We don’t want opportunists in the ADC; we want mission-driven leaders who have the courage to challenge a bad system.”
Nwosu said the ADC will inform INEC of its programmes, including “our upcoming national convention to select our presidential and general candidates. If they don’t accept it, we will publish it to all Nigerian media because they represent the people,” Nwosu, who founded the ADC, said.
While legal battles unfold, the ADC’s internal rift spilled onto the streets of Abuja yesterday.
A faction led by Gombe staged a counter-protest, demanding INEC’s recognition and warning rival groups to stop interfering in party business.
The power struggle now pits former Senate President David Mark against the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu.
With the 2027 general elections on the horizon, the two camps are locked in a fierce battle for control over the party’s official structure and the ultimate stamp of approval from INEC.
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