The African Democratic Congress (ADC) faction led by David Mark has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to overturn the decision of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which derecognised its leadership.
In the suit before Justice Emeka Nwite, Mark is seeking an order of mandatory injunction to nullify INEC’s refusal to monitor the party’s congresses and convention, pending the determination of the case.
He also requested the court to direct INEC to immediately restore the names of the ADC National Working Committee (NWC), including himself as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, in its official records.
The legal action follows INEC’s removal of their names from its portal on April 1.
Through his lawyer, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), Mark argued that the electoral body misinterpreted an earlier Court of Appeal ruling, which ordered parties to maintain the “status quo ante bellum.”
Usman explained that the “status quo ante bellum” refers to the last uncontested leadership structure before the dispute began, insisting that as of September 2, 2025, Mark remained the recognised National Chairman.
He said INEC’s action created a leadership vacuum and was “capable of rendering the subject matter of the suit nugatory.”
“The law is settled that a mandatory injunction may be granted at an interlocutory stage to restore a party to the position wrongfully altered.
“This is a proper case for the exercise of the equitable jurisdiction of this honourable court,” the lawyer stated.
In a separate motion, Mark also asked for an accelerated hearing of the case, urging the court to fast-track proceedings and hear the matter on a day-to-day basis.
According to the legal team, the ongoing leadership uncertainty within the ADC is disrupting party activities and could lead to “parallel structures and conflicting claims” if not urgently resolved.