By John Umeh
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from acknowledging former Senate President David Mark and ex-Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a ruling delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, the court granted an interim order halting INEC’s recognition of Mark as national chairman and Aregbesola as national secretary of the party. The decision came after an ex parte application filed on September 2, 2025, by party member Nafiu Gombe.
The court directed that the status quo be maintained pending the determination of a substantive motion already before it.
The ADC, Mark, and Aregbesola were listed as the first to third defendants in the suit, while INEC and the party’s former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu, were joined as the fourth and fifth defendants.
Although INEC had earlier updated its website to reflect Mark and Aregbesola as principal officers of the party, the latest court order puts their recognition on hold.
Other top officers earlier listed by INEC include former Edo Governor Oserheimen Osunbor as national legal adviser, Ibrahim Mani as treasurer, and Akibu Dalhatu as financial secretary.
The leadership tussle comes just months after the ADC was formally adopted as the umbrella platform for a coalition of opposition figures preparing for the 2027 elections. Among the coalition’s big names are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and ex-Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
At the coalition’s unveiling in July, Nwosu had symbolically handed over the party’s membership card to Mark and Aregbesola, sparking a new phase in the ADC’s leadership struggle that is now before the courts.
