The National Executive Committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to enforce a recent court judgment on the party’s leadership and has accused the judiciary of compromise in the handling of the crisis.
The NEC’s demand follows a Federal High Court judgment delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik in Abuja, which barred INEC from recognising or participating in any congress organised by the caretaker leadership of the ADC led by former Senate President David Mark. The court also restrained Mark and other defendants from interfering with the functions and tenure of elected state executives.
Justice Abdulmalik held that the duty of conducting state congresses resides with state executive committees and not the national caretaker committee. “The judge held that the four-year tenure of the ADC’s State Working Committees and State Executive Committees remains valid and subsisting, pending the conduct of properly constituted state congresses and the convocation of a national convention,” the ruling stated. The court set aside the appointment of a “congress committee” and restrained INEC from recognising any congress organised by it.
The ADC, through its NEC, said INEC’s refusal to act on the judgment amounts to judicial compromise and a threat to the party’s participation in the 2027 elections. In a letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the party’s counsel said, “My Lord, we are most respectfully constrained to request for my Lord’s kind intervention and directive in ensuring that the judgment is rendered timeously having regard that INEC the 4th Respondent in the said Appeal purportedly, acting pursuant to the judgment of the lower court in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/145/2026 acted to remove or de-recognize the leadership of the African Democratic Congress.”
The party warned that without a prompt Supreme Court judgment, it risks exclusion from the electoral process. “Without the delivery of judgment within the next three days from the date of this letter, the ADC stands the grave and irreversible risk of being excluded from participating in the 2027 General Elections,” the letter read. “This would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians who have subscribed to the ideals of the ADC and deny them their constitutional right to freely associate and contest elections.”
ADC spokesperson Malam Bolaji Abdullahi had earlier accused INEC of contradicting its own records. “Yet, despite this clear documentary trail, INEC has now taken the position that it will no longer receive any correspondence from the ADC pending the determination of a matter before the Federal High Court. This is where the contradiction becomes dangerous,” Abdullahi stated. He added that by refusing to receive communication within the Electoral Act’s timelines, “INEC is effectively threatening that unless the courts deliver judgment on the ADC leadership issue by May 10, it will prevent the ADC from producing candidates.”
The leadership dispute stems from the resignation of former executives led by Ralph Nwosu and the emergence of a new National Working Committee led by David Mark on 29 July, 2025. A faction led by Nafiu Bala challenged the arrangement in court, arguing he should assume leadership under the party’s constitution.
The NEC said the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy is at stake. “The integrity of Nigeria’s democracy cannot and will not be sacrificed on the altar of institutional compromise,” the party said. It threatened to pursue judicial proceedings and coordinated civic action if its demands are ignored.
INEC has yet to respond to the latest NEC call.
