Supreme Court Restores David Mark-Led ADC Leadership, Clears Path for 2027 Polls

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has restored the leadership of former Senate President David Mark at the helm of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), ending a months-long factional dispute that had cast a dark shadow over the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.

A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, delivered the judgment after parties had earlier adopted their final written addresses.

The ADC appeal was filed by Mark, who serves as interim national chairman of a faction of the party, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to intervene in what he described as the internal affairs of the ADC. His position, argued through Senior Advocate of Nigeria Jubril Okutepa, was that disputes relating to party leadership are non-justiciable, and that the appellate court exceeded its jurisdiction by intervening in the internal affairs of a political party.

The crisis traces its roots to July 2025. The leadership dispute began after the resignation of the party’s former executives led by Ralph Nwosu and the emergence of a new National Working Committee under Mark on 29 July 2025. The development triggered a legal challenge when Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former vice-national chairperson of the ADC, filed suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking recognition as the party’s rightful leader.

On March 12, 2026, the Court of Appeal dismissed Mark’s earlier case, holding it was incompetent and unmeritorious, and directed parties to return to the trial court and maintain the status quo pending determination of the suit.

Also Read: Supreme Court Voids Ibadan PDP Convention, Deals Blow to Turaki-Led Faction

That ruling set off a chain of consequences. On April 1, INEC announced it would no longer recognise the factions led by either Mark or Bala, saying it would refrain from engaging with both groups or monitoring their meetings, congresses, and conventions. The commission’s move effectively left the ADC without recognised leadership, even though the party remained a registered political party in Nigeria.

The urgency of the situation was not lost on the Mark camp. In a letter dated April 28, 2026, ADC counsel warned that without the delivery of judgment within days, the party faced the grave and irreversible risk of being excluded from the 2027 general elections. The letter, addressed to Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, further argued that millions of Nigerians who had subscribed to the ADC’s ideals stood to be disenfranchised.

INEC’s timetable had set May 10 as the deadline for political parties to submit membership registers, with party primaries scheduled between April 23 and May 30, 2026. The clock was ticking

INEC’s timetable had set May 10 as the deadline for political parties to submit membership registers, with party primaries scheduled between April 23 and May 30, 2026. The clock was ticking.

Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling, delivered at 2pm as scheduled, now clears the path for the ADC to participate fully in the electoral process. The judgment is expected to prompt INEC to restore Mark and Rauf Aregbesola named as national secretary of the Mark-led faction to the commission’s official party portal.

Also Read: APC Zones 2027 Abia Governorship Ticket to Central Senatorial District — Ben Kalu Gets Knock as Zoning Works Against Him

Ahead of the ruling, the party had assured its members it would be on the 2027 ballot, with Mark expressing confidence in a favourable outcome.

The ADC has attracted significant political weight in recent months, with prominent figures including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former governors Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rauf Aregbesola, and Aminu Tambuwal adopting the platform as a coalition vehicle to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

The restoration of Mark’s leadership is therefore widely seen as a significant stabilising moment not just for the ADC, but for the broader opposition coalition building ahead of the January 2027 presidential election.