The Supreme Court has delivered a unanimous judgment in favor of former Senate President David Mark regarding the leadership struggle within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
While the ruling provides a significant legal victory for the Mark-led faction, it does not mark the end of the dispute; instead, the apex court directed the Federal High Court in Abuja to resume and finalize the stalled proceedings.
A five-member panel, presided over by Justice Lawal Garba, set aside a previous Court of Appeal order that had mandated all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum.
The Supreme Court held that such preservative orders are only necessary to prevent parties from creating a fait accompli during live proceedings and become redundant once those specific processes have been concluded.
Justice Garba characterized the appellate court’s directive as unnecessary, effectively clearing the legal path for the trial court to deliver its final judgment.
The leadership crisis originally erupted following a massive influx of prominent politicians into the ADC, who intended to use the party as a coalition platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
This group of high-profile defectors from the APC and PDP included individuals such as former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Governors Ahmed El-Rufai and Rauf Aregbesola, and former Minister Rotimi Amaechi.
The conflict began following the resignation of the party’s former executives led by Ralph Nwosu and the subsequent emergence of a new National Working Committee under David Mark on July 29, 2025.
This transition was immediately challenged by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who filed a suit seeking recognition as the rightful national chairman.
The resulting legal friction led the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove the names of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from its website in April 2026, as the commission refused to recognize either faction pending a final judicial resolution. With the Supreme Court’s decision to set aside the “status quo” order, the Federal High Court is now expected to deliver the definitive judgment that will determine who holds legitimate control over the party’s future.
