S’Court Strikes Out Mark’s Stay Application In ADC Leadership Crisis

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court struck out an application seeking a stay of execution of a Court of Appeal judgment that influenced the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw recognition of the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark.

The application was dismissed on Tuesday after counsel to David Mark, Jibril Okutekpa (SAN), formally withdrew the motion before a five-member panel of the apex court presided over by Justice Lawal Garba.

Okutekpa told the court that INEC’s interpretation of the appellate court’s ruling of March 12 had effectively left the party without a recognised leadership.
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He urged the court to take urgent steps in view of the limited timeframe ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Following the withdrawal, the Supreme Court issued procedural directives to accelerate the hearing of the substantive appeal.

The court abridged timelines for the filing and exchange of briefs, citing the urgency of the matter.

The case has been adjourned to April 22, 2026, for hearing.

The dispute originates 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.

Gombe is seeking, among other reliefs, an order restraining Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, and others from presenting themselves as leaders of the party, as well as preventing INEC from recognising them.

Amid the ongoing litigation, INEC had removed the names of Mark and Aregbesola from its official portal around April 1, citing compliance with the Court of Appeal’s directive to maintain the existing status pending the resolution of the case.

The development has deepened the leadership crisis within the party, with both factions awaiting the Supreme Court’s final determination.