The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja not to interfere in what it described as the internal affairs of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), amid an ongoing leadership dispute within the party.
In an affidavit filed by INEC official Jacob Ayuba, the commission opposed a suit brought by Nafiu Bala, who is challenging the legitimacy of the party’s current leadership. Bala had asked the court to prevent members of the National Working Committee (NWC), led by David Mark, from acting as party executives and to compel INEC to recognise him as acting national chairman.
The crisis began after the party’s founder, Ralph Nwosu, stepped down alongside other executives and endorsed an interim leadership headed by Mark, with Rauf Aregbesola named as national secretary. However, Bala disputed the arrangement, insisting he never resigned and should have assumed leadership based on the party’s constitution.
INEC, in its submission, explained that it had monitored the party’s national executive council meeting held in July 2025, where the leadership changes were formalised. The commission said it subsequently updated its records to reflect Mark and Aregbesola as the party’s recognised leaders.
According to the commission, Bala’s request is invalid because the actions he seeks to stop have already been completed, noting that courts cannot halt decisions that have already taken effect. It further argued that the dispute is strictly an internal party matter, which falls outside the court’s jurisdiction unless it concerns candidate selection processes.
Meanwhile, the leadership tussle has also seen legal developments at the appellate level. David Mark had approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the lower court’s authority to hear the case, but his appeal was dismissed for lacking merit. The appellate court ruled that there was no substantive decision from the lower court to justify the appeal and directed all parties to maintain the existing situation pending further proceedings.
Following the ruling, INEC announced that it would suspend engagement with both factions of the party, including monitoring of meetings and congresses, until the matter is resolved.
