…Verdict expected on de-recognition of Mark-led ADC leadership and PDP Ibandan convention
Supreme Court is set to deliver judgments in leadership battles suits of African Democratic Congress, ADC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, today.
Judgment in the ADC suit marked SC/CV/180/2026 according to information on the court’s website will come up before the PDP matter.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on March 26 published on its website that it has de-recognised the Senator David Mark leadership of the ADC, following a judgment by the Court of Appeal.
Besides, the INEC stated that it will also not recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe, who had gone to court seeking to be declared ADC national Chairman.
However, the commission announced it will cease recognition of the duo and refrain from monitoring any conventions or congresses organised by their factions, pending the determination of the substantive suit before the court.
Recall that, Sen David Mark, who is leading a faction of the ADC, is challenging the March 12 ruling of the Court of Appeal seating in Abuja, which ordered parties to maintain Status quo ante bellum in a suit instituted by aggrieved party members. It was the judicial pronouncement of Status quo ante bellum and the letter of a senior Advocate of Nigeria representing Nafiu Bala Gombe demanding that the INEC should desist from recognizing the David Mar-led NWC, citing that the Court of Appeal ruling or judgment was in favour of Nafiu Gombe. And another letter from David Mark’s attorney urging the INEC not to recognize Nafiu Gombe.
The INEC and its National Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, ,so moto interpreted the Status quo ante Bellum to imply derecognition of David Mark and Rauf Aregesola’s led NWC. This Amupitan’s singular action without prior judicial interpretation sparked debates among interested Nigerians leading to protests and counter protests in Abuja and other cities.
This prompted the David Mark’s led ADC to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the decision and actions of the INEC as well as the action of the INEC in derecognizing him and others as the rightful NWC.
AljazirahNigeria Newspaper recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission had in 2025 monitored the transition of power from the Ralph Okechukwu Nwosu’s NWC to the David Mark’s led ADC, Power changed hands and suddenly Nafiu Bala went to the court on September 2 challenging the leadership of Mark and others.
After a ‘letter of save our soul’ by the legal team of ADC-led Mark, received by the Chief Justice of the Federation,CJN , Justice kekere. The Supreme court has scheduled the judgments of the ADC and the PDP today to decide on the appeals seeking validation of the outcome of the PDP national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025 and that of the ADC NWC led By Sen David Mark and four other.
Taminu Turaki-led led faction of the PDP are specifically urging the apex court to set aside the judgments of the Abuja Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal,which nullified the conduct of the Ibadan national convention while the ADC wants the Supreme Court to decide on the Quo Ante Bellum and the interpretation given by the many analysts
