The leadership crisis rocking the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken another turn after Nigeria’s Supreme Court struck out an application linked to the dispute.
The motion, filed on behalf of former Senate President, David Mark, was withdrawn by his lawyer, Jibril Okutekpa (SAN), during proceedings on Tuesday — leading the court to dismiss it.
During the hearing, Mark’s legal team raised concerns over the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that its interpretation of an earlier Court of Appeal ruling has left the party without a clearly recognised leadership.
According to them, the directive to maintain the “status quo” has instead created confusion, with no faction officially in charge. They also warned that time is running out, especially with the 2027 general elections approaching.
Although the Supreme Court dismissed the application, it acknowledged the urgency of the situation and moved to fast-track the main case. The justices issued new timelines for filing legal documents and fixed April 22, 2026, to hear the substantive appeal.
The crisis itself stems from a suit filed by Nafiu-Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, who is challenging the legitimacy of the current leadership.
He is asking the court to stop David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as party leaders, while also seeking to prevent INEC from recognising them.
Adding to the confusion, INEC had earlier removed the names of both men from its official portal, citing the Appeal Court’s directive and ongoing legal disputes.
Since then, the electoral body has avoided recognising any faction within the party, leaving the ADC in a leadership vacuum as the legal battle continues.
Supreme Court Dismisses David Mark’s Application for Stay of Execution
The Supreme Court has dismissed an application for stay of execution of an Appeal Court ruling that led to the decision of electoral body, INEC to derecognize the Senator David Mark leadership of the Action… pic.twitter.com/rChDBCsYdr
— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) April 14, 2026
