ADC Leadership Crisis: Party Seeks Swift Judicial Action Over Fear of 2027 Election Exclusion
By Ranti Thomas
Concerns over the future participation of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2027 general elections have intensified as the party pushes for an accelerated judgment from the Supreme Court in its ongoing leadership dispute.
The appeal, which is before the apex court in case SC/CV/180/2026 involving Senator David Mark and Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, alongside other parties, centres on a long-running contest over who holds legitimate control of the party’s leadership structure.
In a letter dated April 22, 2026, the party’s counsel, S.E. Aruwa (SAN), urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to prioritise the matter, warning that any delay in judgment could severely affect the ADC’s ability to meet electoral requirements ahead of the 2027 polls.
The legal team argued that recent actions linked to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following an earlier Court of Appeal decision, had already created uncertainty by allegedly moving to de-recognise the party’s leadership structure.
According to the letter, this situation has placed the party in a vulnerable position, with fears that it may be unable to comply with statutory conditions required for participation in the next general elections if the leadership question remains unresolved.
The party further stressed that time-sensitive electoral processes have already begun, and any continued delay could impact candidate nominations, internal preparations, and other critical deadlines set by INEC for political parties.
Senior Advocate Aruwa warned that millions of party supporters could be affected if the legal uncertainty persists, arguing that it could ultimately restrict their constitutional right to political participation through their chosen platform.
While acknowledging the heavy caseload of the Supreme Court, the ADC maintained that the urgency of the matter makes it exceptional, insisting that delayed judgment in this case could translate into political exclusion.
The leadership dispute stems from competing claims within the party, with both Senator David Mark’s faction and Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe’s group laying claim to legitimacy, prompting multiple court actions across different levels of the judiciary.
At the Supreme Court hearing, legal representatives had earlier adopted their arguments, with counsel for Mark, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), urging the court to dismiss lower court decisions on jurisdictional grounds, arguing that internal party matters fall outside judicial interference.
On the other hand, counsel for Gombe, Robert Emukpero (SAN), urged the court to uphold earlier rulings that favoured the continuation of proceedings, insisting that the appeal was premature and lacked proper legal foundation.
The Court of Appeal had previously ruled against Mark’s challenge, describing the appeal as premature and ordering that the matter return to the trial court for expedited hearing, while maintaining status quo pending final resolution.
Following that order, INEC reportedly stepped in to de-recognise the contested leadership, further escalating tensions within the party and prompting fresh legal action at the Supreme Court.
After hearing submissions from both sides, the Supreme Court panel, led by Justice Garba Mohammed, reserved judgment to a date that will be communicated to the parties, leaving the leadership question and its electoral implications unresolved for now.