ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s electoral umpire has effectively suspended its recognition of the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), vowing to scrub the names of current party officials from its official portal following a high-stakes legal battle.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that it will no longer deal with any faction of the party or monitor its conventions until a definitive ruling is reached by the Federal High Court. The decision was detailed in a statement signed by Mohammed Haruna, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee. Mr. Haruna emphasized the Commission’s commitment to “neutrality, impartiality, and strict compliance with judicial orders” as the country prepares for the 2027 General Election.
A Party Divided
The crisis stems from a leadership tussle between two rival camps. One group is led by Senator David Mark, whose committee took over following the resignation of the previous chairman in July 2025. The second group is led by Nafiu Gombe, a former Vice-National Chairman who claims he is the rightful acting leader under the party’s constitution. The dispute escalated into a series of lawsuits, with the Court of Appeal recently ordering all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum—a legal term meaning the state of affairs existing before the conflict began.
Key Resolutions by INEC
In response to the court’s directive, INEC reached several critical resolutions during its meeting on March 31, 2026:
Removal of Names: The Commission will remove the names of the National Working Committee members led by Senator David Mark from its portal. These names had been uploaded in September 2025, just days after a lawsuit challenging their authority had been filed.
Total Disengagement: INEC will refrain from receiving communication from, or dealing with, any of the warring factions regarding party affairs.
No Monitoring: The Commission refused to monitor any meetings, congresses, or conventions convened by either group to avoid “foisting a fait accompli” on the court—essentially ensuring that no actions taken now would unfairly influence the final judicial outcome.
Rejection of Rival Claims: While removing Mark’s group from its portal, INEC also refused a request from Nafiu Bala Gombe’s lawyers to recognize him as the party’s leader, opting instead for a total freeze on recognition.
Legal Deadlock
The Court of Appeal has granted an accelerated hearing for the substantive case pending before the Federal High Court in Abuja. This move is intended to resolve the leadership vacuum quickly to avoid disrupting the national electoral timetable.
For now, the ADC—one of Nigeria’s established political parties—remains in a state of administrative limbo, with no leadership recognized by the state as the legal battle continues.
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