Independent National Electoral Commission Formally Withdraws Recognition of Senator David Mark Amid Mounting ADC Leadership Dispute

INEC halts interaction with Senator David Mark's ADC faction following a Court of Appeal order to maintain the status quo. Read the full editorial breakdown.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 2, 2026, 4:11 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from PoliticsNGR

The Regulatory Withdrawal from Party Governance

The Independent National Electoral Commission, known as INEC, has officially transitioned to a position of neutrality regarding the internal governance of the African Democratic Congress. National Commissioner Mohammed Kudu Haruna confirmed on Wednesday that the electoral body will no longer acknowledge Senator David Mark as the legitimate leader of the organization. This regulatory shift follows a period of intense internal friction and conflicting legal demands from rival factions, leading the commission to conclude that continued interaction with the Mark-led group could be interpreted as judicial interference. According to Haruna, the commission’s primary objective is to adhere to the rule of law while the judiciary resolves the underlying ownership of the party’s executive structure.

Judicial Directives and the Status Quo

The decision to distance the commission from the current National Working Committee is rooted in a March 12, 2026, ruling by the Court of Appeal. The court dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by the Mark faction and mandated that all parties return to the legal standing that existed prior to the filing of the initial lawsuit in September 2025. According to the commission’s legal review, this directive necessitates the removal of names previously uploaded to the official INEC portal. By reverting to the status quo ante bellum, the electoral body aims to prevent any single group from gaining an unfair administrative advantage before the Federal High Court in Abuja delivers a final determination on the leadership's validity.

Conflicting Legal Mandates and Factional Demands

The commission’s neutrality was tested by a series of aggressive legal correspondences from competing law firms representing different interests within the party. Suleiman Usman SAN and Co, acting for certain stakeholders, warned the commission against recognizing Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe as an acting chairman during the litigation. Simultaneously, Summit Law Chambers, representing Gombe, accused the commission of bias and demanded the immediate erasure of Senator Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from the national registry. According to commission records, these conflicting communications created a volatile administrative environment that necessitated a total suspension of engagement with all feuding parties to preser...