Former INEC Director Barrister Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi Challenges Commission's Withdrawal of Recognition for David Mark Led ADC Leadership

Former INEC Director Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi slams the commission for withdrawing recognition of the David Mark-led ADC. Read the full legal analysis here.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 4, 2026, 4:42 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Politics Nigeria

A Legal Challenge to INEC's Interpretative Authority

Barrister Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, a former director of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has publicly contested the commission’s decision to withdraw its recognition of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) leadership led by David Mark. During an interview on ARISE News on Friday, April 3, 2024, Osaze-Uzzi argued that the commission’s move stems from a flawed interpretation of a recent Court of Appeal ruling. He contended that the judicial order was designed to preserve the existing state of affairs while the substantive case continues at the High Court, rather than to serve as a mandate for the commission to strip any faction of its legitimacy.

The "Majesty of the Court" and Party Autonomy

According to Osaze-Uzzi, the court’s primary instruction was for all parties—including INEC and the competing ADC factions—to refrain from actions that would "usurp the power of the court" to eventually deliver justice. He clarified that the ruling did not explicitly direct INEC to recognize or de-recognize any specific group. Consequently, the former director advised the David Mark-led leadership to proceed with its scheduled internal activities, including congresses and conventions. He maintained that as long as these actions do not interfere with the ongoing judicial process, they remain a valid exercise of the party's democratic functions.

Questioning the Logic of INEC’s Legal Department

Osaze-Uzzi expressed significant reservations about the commission's current stance, particularly given the high caliber of legal expertise within INEC’s leadership. He noted that the commission’s chairman is a respected academic and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), supported by a legal department featuring several other senior advocates. Despite this, he suggested that the commission's "interpolation" of the court order was logically inconsistent with the actual text of the judgment. This public disagreement highlights a growing tension between independent legal experts and the commission over the administration of party leadership crises.