…David Mark-Led ADC Asks Court To Reverse INEC Decision

A member of the House of Representatives representing Yagba Federal Constituency in Kogi State, Leke Abejide, has accused some prominent political figures of “hijacking” the African Democratic Congress (ADC) amid the party’s deepening leadership crisis.

Abejide made the allegation on Thursday while speaking as a guest on Politics Today, where he criticised the emergence of a faction of the party led by former Senate President, David Mark.

When asked to clarify the identities of the “hijackers,” he said, “Former Senate President David Mark, former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, and the rest.”

Abejide faulted the process through which the Mark leadership emerged, arguing that due consultation with existing party members was ignored.

“If you want to come to a party, and it is not a fresh one, you should know that some people are there. Why don’t you meet with them first and discuss?” he said.

Asked whether he had ever held meetings with key figures reportedly involved in the coalition, including Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, and Peter Obi, Abejide responded, “No, I have never met with them. None of them has ever met me.”

The rep member also dismissed suggestions that he was sidelined because he was perceived as a “sellout,” stating, “I am not a sellout. It is not because they didn’t consult me; let us do things according to the law. This party cannot be destroyed.”

Citing the ADC constitution, Abejide argued that the appointments of Mark and others violated established rules.

He maintained that those who assumed leadership positions had not fulfilled these requirements at the time.

“As at the time they sat on their seats, they had not registered in their wards. They were not members of the ADC as at the time they took over,” he said.

“What they ought to have done is to allow them to come in, then write to INEC, give 21 days’ notice for a national convention, and amend the constitution properly… By then, nobody can go to court. But that was not the case; they immediately took over that day as if the election were tomorrow,” he stated.

The lawmaker also alleged that longstanding party members were neither informed nor consulted in the leadership transition.

The ADC has, in recent weeks, been embroiled in a multi-factional leadership dispute.

The crisis intensified following the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise the David Mark-led executive, in compliance with a Court of Appeal ruling ordering a return to the status quo pending the resolution of the dispute.

The party currently has three competing groups, with parallel claims to leadership and ongoing legal battles further complicating efforts to stabilise its structure ahead of future political engagements.

On Wednesday, Mark, Atiku, Obi, Amaechi, and other leaders led a massive “Occupy INEC” protest in Abuja against the delisting of the former Senate president and others and leaders of the ADC.

Similarly, on Thursday, Nafiu Gombe led his own protest to the INEC headquarters, demanding that he be added to the portal as the authentic chairman.

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reverse changes made to the party’s leadership records on its portal.

In a motion on notice filed before Justice Emeka Nwite, the party is seeking an order of mandatory injunction setting aside INEC’s decision to remove its National Working Committee (NWC) members from the commission’s records, as well as its refusal to monitor the party’s congresses and convention.

The applicants also urged the court to direct INEC to immediately restore and maintain the names of all members of the ADC’s NWC on its portal, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

INEC had, on April 1, removed the names of Mark (National Chairman) and Rauf Aregbesola (National Secretary) from its official website and portal.

The motion, dated and filed on April 7 by Mark’s counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), is in response to the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal in a suit earlier instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe before Justice Nwite.

The application, which seeks three reliefs, was brought pursuant to Order 26, Rules 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, as well as the inherent and equitable jurisdiction of the court to grant injunctive reliefs.

The reliefs sought include: “an order of mandatory injunction, setting aside the decision, act, or directive of the respondent removing the names of the applicant’s National Working Committee from its official portal and the decision of refusal to attend or monitor the applicant’s congresses or convention pending the hearing and determination of this suit.

“An order of mandatory injunction, directing the 4th respondent (INEC) to forthwith restore and maintain records and portal, the names of Senator David Mark as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, as well as all members of the National Executive Committee of the 1st defendant (ADC), as they were, prior to the institution of this suit, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

“An order of injunction, restraining the 4th defendant (INEC), whether by itself, its agents, privies or servants, from removing, altering, tampering with, or otherwise interfering with the said leadership records of the 1st defendant, recognising or giving effect to any contrary or competing claims, pending the final determination of this suit.”

Giving seven grounds for the application, Usman argued that the Court of Appeal, in its ruling delivered on March 12, ordered the parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum.

He explained that the term referred to the last lawful and uncontested state of affairs before the institution of the suit.

The lawyer further submitted that INEC, acting under a misapprehension of the appellate court’s order, removed the names of the party’s leadership from its portal.

He said the electoral body thereby adopted a position of non-recognition, creating a vacuum in the ADC’s leadership structure.

Usman argued that INEC’s actions were inconsistent with the true meaning of the Court of Appeal’s order and were capable of rendering the subject matter of the suit nugatory and prejudicial to Mark and Aregbesola.

“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 senior lawyer submitted.

In a separate motion on notice dated April 2 but filed on April 7, the lawyer also sought an order for accelerated hearing of the suit.

He urged the court to abridge the time for filing and exchange of processes and to hear the case on a day-to-day basis until its final determination.

Usman argued that the suit raises fundamental issues affecting the leadership structure of the ADC, with far-reaching implications for democratic governance and political participation.

He added that the Court of Appeal had already directed that the matter be heard expeditiously.

According to him, the uncertainty surrounding the party’s leadership is affecting its internal administration, hindering its participation in political activities, and creating institutional confusion.

He further warned that the continued pendency of the suit could render its subject matter nugatory and encourage parallel structures and conflicting claims.

Justice Nwite had, on September 4, 2025, declined an ex parte application seeking to stop the Mark-led leadership of the ADC pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The application was filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, through his counsel, Michael Agber.

Instead, the judge directed the plaintiff to put all defendants on notice to show cause why the application should not be granted and adjourned the matter to September 15, 2025.

Dissatisfied, the Mark-led group approached the Court of Appeal, challenging the trial court’s jurisdiction. The appellate court subsequently directed the parties to return to the lower court and to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the case.

Gombe had sued the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, INEC, and Ralph Nwosu as 1st to 5th defendants, respectively.

Nwosu is the former national chairman of the party who stepped down for the Mark-led leadership.

The Osun State House of Assembly on Thursday expressed concern over what it described as the “sudden redeployment” of the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the state, Mutiu Agboke.

Agboke, in a statement, announced his redeployment to Ondo State and expressed gratitude to journalists in Osun for their support during his tenure.

The transfer was personally announced by Agboke in a message he shared on the official media WhatsApp group of INEC in Osun late on Wednesday.

The tersely worded statement read in part, “I have been transferred to Ondo State. I thank you most sincerely for the support given to me throughout my stay here in Osun State. May God Almighty support you all as well.”

Agboke’s transfer comes at a time when preparations for the 2026 Osun governorship poll are gathering momentum.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo on the development on Thursday, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Adewale Egbedun, said the parliament had also learnt that “further deployments of interested persons are being planned and may extend to other key officials, including the Administrative Secretary, Electoral Officers, Assistant Electoral Officers, and ICT personnel across the state.”

Egbedun, who alleged “a deliberate pattern of actions aimed at influencing the electoral process in Osun State,” noted that Ekiti State, which will hold its governorship election before the Osun poll, has not witnessed “such widespread deployment of electoral officials.”

“This raises serious and legitimate questions. Why Osun State?” he asked.

He declared that no amount of administrative changes or deployment of officials would override the will of the Osun people at the poll.

“These calculated efforts, no matter how structured, cannot alter the resolve of our people. The people of Osun State are politically conscious, vigilant, and determined to ensure that their votes count and reflect their true choice,” he said.

Egbedun also alleged that there were plans in parts of the state, particularly within the Ife/Ijesa Senatorial District, to compromise the electoral process through the use of APC members in critical roles such as returning officers and supervisors.

“This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We are placing the public on notice.

“Let it be made absolutely clear that whoever is deployed to conduct elections in Osun State must do so in strict accordance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act. The election must be free, fair, and credible. Anything short of this will be firmly resisted by the people of Osun State,” he said.

He called on the international community, development partners, and observers of democratic governance to take an interest in developments concerning the Osun governorship election.

He added that, as representatives of the people, the parliament would insist on a free, fair, and credible election.

Voters in Osun State will go to the polls on August 15 to elect a governor, with the contest already being described by observers as a high-stakes race.

The incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, is seeking re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, while a former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Bola Oyebamiji, is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

A public affairs commentator, Mahdi Shehu, has cautioned political leaders against promoting a one-party system, warning that such a path often ends in failure and disgrace.

Shehu gave the warning in a post shared on X on Thursday, where he reflected on the dangers and perceived benefits of one-party dominance in a democracy.

According to him, true democracy is built on active citizen participation and the availability of multiple political parties.


“True democracy is predicated on free and unimpeded citizens’ participation in regular elections and guaranteed adult franchise under multiple party platforms,” he said.

He, however, noted that many leaders tend to weaken these democratic principles after gaining power in a bid to remain in office for as long as possible.

“History has shown that some of the tenets of democracy become inconvenient to many leaders who have ascended to power, such that they dilute those tenets to serve their inordinate desire to cling to power till death,” Shehu added.

Citing global examples, he pointed to countries where opposition parties exist but play little or no meaningful role.

“Just recall China, North Korea, Uganda, Chile, Eritrea, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Cameroon as a few examples where opposition parties don’t matter. They only exist at the convenience of the ruling party,” he said.

Despite this, Shehu argued that leaders who promote one-party dominance would eventually realise its futility.

“Leaders and politicians who cherish and nurture a one-party state will realise the futility of their democratic selfishness when it is too little too late,” he warned.

He added that such leaders often leave power under unpleasant circumstances.

“Because willy-nilly, they will depart power or power will elude them, often with disgrace deserving no one’s sympathy or pity,” he said.

Shehu also pointed out that one-party systems make it easier for citizens to assign responsibility for both successes and failures in governance.

“They have also made it easy for their citizens to know when and who to praise, condemn or hold responsible for good or evil in the country,” he noted.

According to him, such systems also simplify the work of historians and political analysts.

“Indeed, they make it easier for historians and political scientists to document their regimes with ease as they alone dominated the political stage to everybody’s exclusion,” he said.

He further warned that leaders who undermine electoral processes are only setting themselves up for eventual failure.

“All political leaders who shiver at the approach of elections, muscle opposition, coerce electoral institutions, chase away many, deploy material inducement and blackmail are simply making their crash and failure inevitable,” he stated.

“That has been the verdict of history and there is no exception to that stubborn rule.” Mahdi said.

Currently, the APC has 32 out of the 36 state governors.