The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has escalated, with rival factions taking their dispute to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) amid a fresh push for control of the party.
The camp led by Nafiu Bala has formally written to INEC, urging the commission to withdraw recognition of former Senate President David Mark and ex-Minister Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s National Chairman and Secretary. Bala is seeking to be recognised as the rightful leader of the ADC.
The move follows a ruling by the Court of Appeal, which dismissed an appeal filed by Mark challenging an earlier decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The appellate court held that the appeal was procedurally incompetent, as it was filed without the required leave.
In its ruling, the court, led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, directed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit before the Federal High Court.
Seizing on the judgment, Bala, through his counsel, Robert Emukpoeruo (SAN), asked INEC to comply with the court’s directive by ceasing recognition of Mark and Aregbesola. He argued that the order to maintain the status quo also restrains actions that could undermine ongoing proceedings.
Bala, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, has consistently maintained that he should assume leadership following the resignation of former chairman Ralph Nwosu.
However, a counter-position has emerged. A legal practitioner, Dr Sulaimon Usman (SAN), advised INEC to disregard Bala’s request, stressing that the commission should avoid recognising any new leadership pending the final determination of the case in court. He noted that the party still operates under an existing structure established at a National Executive Committee meeting monitored by INEC in July 2025.
Meanwhile, political tensions heightened as Abdullahi alleged that elements within the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were pressuring INEC to deregister the Mark-led leadership to weaken opposition ahead of the 2027 elections. He claimed the strategy was aimed at preventing the ADC from fielding a presidential candidate.
The APC dismissed the allegations, describing them as baseless. Its National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, said neither the party nor the Presidency was involved in the ADC’s internal dispute.
Basiru urged the ADC to respect the ruling of the Court of Appeal, noting that the order to maintain the status quo remains binding unless overturned by the Supreme Court. He warned that INEC must not be pressured into acting without court directives.
He added that the ADC should focus on resolving its internal issues rather than making unsubstantiated claims, insisting that the ruling party has no interest in the opposition party’s crisis.