ADC CRISIS: FACTION URGES INEC TO REMOVE MARK, AREGBESOLA

By: Balogun Ibrahim

The leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress has been taken to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as the Nafiu Bala-led faction moves to assert control of the party.

The Media learnt that Bala wrote to INEC, urging the commission to remove former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as Chairman and Secretary of the party, respectively.

The move follows the dismissal of an appeal filed by Mark against a ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit initiated by Bala.

Bala, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, has been challenging the current leadership, insisting he should assume the position of national chairman following the resignation of former chairman Ralph Nwosu.

However, Justice Nwite, on September 4, 2025, dismissed an ex parte motion filed by Bala, in which he sought an order directing INEC to derecognise Mark and Aregbesola as the party’s leaders.

The judge also ordered Mark and Aregbesola to show cause why the injunction should not be granted, effectively putting them on notice to respond to the application.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Mark filed a notice of appeal on September 18, 2025, challenging the decision on several grounds, including lack of jurisdiction.

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However, on Tuesday, the Court of Appeal dismissed Mark’s appeal, registered as CA/ABJ/145/2026, on the grounds that it was procedurally incompetent, having been filed against an interlocutory order without first obtaining the required leave of court.

The appellate court, led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, directed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive case before the Federal High Court.

Following the ruling, Bala reportedly approached the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking recognition as the national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a letter to INEC through his counsel, Robert Emukpoeruo (SAN), Bala urged the commission to comply with the Court of Appeal’s decision by discontinuing recognition of Mark and Aregbesola as party leaders.

The letter, dated March 16 and obtained by The Media, quoted the Court of Appeal as directing that “the parties are hereby directed to maintain the status quo ante bellum and shall refrain from taking any step or doing any act capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court or otherwise rendering nugatory the proceedings before the trial court.”

Emukpoeruo argued that the court’s directive contained two key elements: maintaining the status quo and restraining any actions that could undermine or pre-empt the ongoing proceedings before the trial court.

He called on party members to remain calm, law-abiding and committed to the ideals and progress of the ADC.

Findings by The Media also showed that a legal practitioner, Dr Sulaimon Usman (SAN) of Gamzaki Law Chambers in Abuja, wrote to INEC, urging the commission to dismiss Bala’s claim and refrain from considering the prayers being sought.

In a letter dated March 16, 2026, and obtained by The Media, Usman stated that, “In the present circumstances, it would be consistent with the principles of constitutional order, judicial comity, and sound administrative prudence for the commission to refrain from recognising or acting upon any representation seeking to install or recognise any person as Acting National Chairman of the party pending the determination of the suit before the Federal High Court.”

“This is particularly important given that the party currently operates under an existing leadership structure that emerged from the NEC meeting monitored by the Commission on July 29, 2025, which remains in place pending the determination of the ongoing court proceedings.”

Meanwhile, Abdullahi alleged that certain individuals within the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were pressuring INEC to deregister members of the Mark-led National Working Committee, with a view to taking control of the party’s structure and handing it over to President Bola Tinubu.

He claimed the move was aimed at preventing the ADC from fielding a presidential candidate, thereby allowing Tinubu to run unopposed in the 2027 presidential election.

“We have it on good authority that the INEC chairman is under serious pressure from the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress to stop the ADC, and they have mobilised most of his commissioners into the project,” he said.

“The plan, according to him, is to confine all opposition leaders within the ADC and then, at the final stage, move to deregister the party, effectively preventing them from defecting to other political platforms. He also questioned the extent of the judiciary’s involvement in the alleged scheme.

He further alleged that President Bola Tinubu is unwilling to face strong opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and others in the 2027 presidential election.”

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the allegations, with its National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, describing the claims as unfounded and an attempt to deflect from internal issues within the ADC.

Basiru said it was improper to accuse the Presidency and the APC of influencing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that they are not parties to the ongoing legal dispute.

“The Presidency and the APC are not parties to the suit in court. It was David Mark who went to the Court of Appeal, and the court directed that the status quo ante bellum should be maintained,” he said.

He added that any responsible organisation should comply with court orders rather than resort to what he described as baseless allegations against the Presidency or other political parties, stressing that the APC has no involvement in the ADC’s internal litigation.

“If you choose to take over a party structure without following due process, how does that become the responsibility of the President or the APC? And if you approach the court with a case that lacks merit, how is that the fault of the President?”

Basiru urged the ADC to respect the court’s decision, noting that if the party is dissatisfied, it should pursue further legal action, but must comply with the existing ruling in the meantime. He also cautioned against attempts to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into disregarding judicial orders.

“Even if they disagree with the Court of Appeal’s decision, they can approach the Supreme Court. However, until it is set aside, the order directing that the status quo ante bellum be maintained remains in force.

“A responsible institution like INEC cannot be pressured into ignoring a valid court order. Their actions reflect a lack of understanding of legal processes and a tendency to make unfounded allegations,” he said.

The APC national secretary distanced the party and the Presidency from the ADC’s internal crisis, stressing that they are not involved in the matter.

“It is not our business. Our party is united and stronger. We have no involvement in their internal issues, but they must obey the law, and INEC must also act in line with court directives.

“You cannot attempt to pressure INEC in the face of a subsisting court order and then accuse the Presidency of interference. The Presidency is focused on more pressing national issues and cannot be concerned with a political party that has not even stabilised,” he added.