The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in an appeal filed by former Senate President, David Mark, over the leadership dispute in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, fixed a date for judgment after hearing arguments from all parties on Tuesday.
During proceedings on Wednesday, arguments were presented by parties involved in the ADC leadership tussle. Among those present was the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi.
Core Issues Before the Court
At the heart of the case is whether earlier rulings that questioned Mark’s leadership should stand. Those decisions had prompted INEC to remove officials associated with his faction from its official records.
Mark, who heads a faction of the party, is challenging the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which directed parties in the dispute to maintain the status quo ante bellum.
In the appeal marked SC/CV/180/2026, Mark argued that the appellate court overstepped its jurisdiction by interfering in what he described as the internal affairs of a political party.
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He maintained that the case raises constitutional questions on the limits of judicial intervention in party affairs.
Through his counsel, Jubril Okutepa (SAN), he maintained that leadership disputes within political parties are non-justiciable and urged the court to set aside the judgment.
The respondents in the suit include Nafiu Bala, the ADC, Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Ralph Nwosu.
Among the reliefs sought, Mark asked the court to restrain INEC from recognising any leadership outside his faction pending the determination of the appeal. He also sought an order stopping the electoral body from making changes to the party’s leadership structure, as well as a stay of proceedings in a related suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
While INEC did not file any process for or against the appeal, other respondents urged the apex court to dismiss the case.
Background to the Dispute
The appeal stems from a March 12 ruling of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed Mark’s earlier appeal against a September 4 decision of the Federal High Court.
At the lower court, Nafiu Bala, a former deputy national chairman of the ADC, filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 seeking to stop the Mark-led leadership from presenting themselves as national officers of the party.
Bala listed the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, INEC, and Ralph Nwosu as defendants.
He argued that he never resigned his position as national vice-chairman and should have assumed leadership in line with the party’s constitution following Nwosu’s exit. He subsequently declared himself national chairman and challenged Mark’s leadership in court.
In the suit filed on September 2, 2025, Bala sought an order restraining INEC from recognising the Mark-led executives and compelling the commission to recognise him as acting national chairman.
He also filed motions seeking to stop the party from holding meetings, congresses, or conventions pending the outcome of the case.
On September 4, 2025, the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, directed the respondents, including INEC, to show cause why the reliefs sought should not be granted.
Dissatisfied with the proceedings, Mark approached the Court of Appeal, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to entertain the suit. However, on March 12, 2026, the appellate court dismissed his appeal, describing it as incompetent and lacking merit, and directed parties to return to the trial court while maintaining the status quo.
Following that judgment, INEC announced on April 1 that it would no longer recognise either the Mark-led or Bala-led factions of the ADC. The commission said it would also refrain from engaging with both groups or monitoring their activities.
In response, the Mark faction filed a motion seeking an order compelling INEC to restore its officials and recognise them as members of the party’s National Working Committee.
The faction subsequently filed the appeal now before the Supreme Court.
Proceedings at the Federal High Court have since been put on hold, with Justice Nwite adjourning the case indefinitely, citing the pending appeal. He warned that continuing the matter would amount to “judicial rascality.”
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.