The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has withdrawn its recognition of Senator David Mark and former Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following a ruling by the Court of Appeal.
The commission announced the decision on Wednesday in a statement issued after reviewing the legal disputes surrounding the leadership of the opposition party.
INEC said the action was taken in compliance with the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/145/2026 between Senator David Mark and Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe.
According to the electoral body, the names of the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Mark, which were uploaded to its portal on September 9, 2025, will be removed in line with the court’s directive.
“Since the names of the current National Working Committee members led by Senator David Mark were uploaded on 9th September 2025 by INEC, seven days after the suit was instituted, the names would be removed from the INEC portal pursuant to the order of the Court of Appeal,” the commission stated.
INEC further explained that it would refrain from taking any action that could interfere with the ongoing court proceedings, in compliance with preservatory orders issued by the appellate court.
The commission also declared that it would no longer receive communications from, or deal with, any of the factions laying claim to the leadership of the ADC until the Federal High Court in Abuja determines the substantive case.
It added that it would not monitor or recognise any meeting, congress or convention convened by any group in the party pending the resolution of the dispute.
However, INEC rejected a request by lawyers representing Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe asking the commission to allow him assume control of the party’s affairs pending the determination of the case.
The commission explained that the decision followed letters from lawyers representing the opposing factions in the dispute.
While the law firm of Suleiman Usman SAN & Co. cautioned the commission against recognising Gombe as acting national chairman due to the pending case at the Federal High Court, Summit Law Chambers, representing Gombe, demanded the enforcement of the Court of Appeal judgment.
The latter urged INEC to stop recognising Mark and Aregbesola, remove their names from its portal, and refrain from dealing with them in respect of the party’s affairs.
INEC also recalled that the same law firm had accused the commission of disobeying the appellate court’s orders by inviting Mark’s faction to a meeting with political parties on March 24, 2026, and monitoring a National Executive Committee meeting held by the group on March 25.
Providing background to the crisis, the commission said the current NWC led by Mark emerged after members of the Ralph Okey Nwosu-led executive committee resigned and ratified a new leadership during a National Executive Council meeting held on July 29, 2025.
But Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, who was the party’s Vice National Chairman, disputed the development, insisting he never resigned and should automatically assume leadership of the party following the exit of the former chairman.
Gombe subsequently filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja on September 2, 2025, seeking an order restraining Mark’s group from parading themselves as the leadership of the party and asking the court to compel INEC to recognise him as acting national chairman.
In its judgment delivered on March 12, 2026, the Court of Appeal dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by Mark challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court and ordered accelerated hearing of the substantive case.
The appellate court also directed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the suit and awarded N2 million in costs in favour of the first respondent.
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