ADC Heads to Appeal Court Over Sack of Mark-Led Leadership

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has launched a fresh legal offensive against the Federal High Court judgment nullifying the David Mark-led leadership of the party, heading to the Court of Appeal and warning the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against taking any consequential action while the battle remains unresolved.

In a dramatic escalation of the crisis, the party disclosed that it had filed a notice of appeal against the November 5, 2026, judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, alongside an application seeking a stay of execution pending the determination of the appeal.

The development was announced on Friday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, who confirmed that INEC had been formally notified of the legal moves.

Shaibu insisted that the electoral commission must not rush to implement the judgment while the application for a stay of execution remains pending.

“The Commission must respect the judicial process and allow the appellate court to hear the case,” he declared.

He warned that any consequential action by INEC at this stage could pre-empt the Court of Appeal and potentially complicate the resolution of the leadership dispute.

In a further move, the party's legal representatives, S. E. Aruwa, SAN & Co., wrote directly to the INEC chairman on November 6, formally notifying the commission of the appeal and the pending application for a stay of execution.

The lawyers urged INEC to suspend further action on the subject matter of the litigation until the appellate court determines the matter.

But despite the mounting legal storm, the ADC has declared that its political activities will continue uninterrupted, insisting that the leadership crisis will not derail its preparations for the 2027 general elections.

“This is not the end of the road. The ADC is taking every lawful step to defend its rights, and we will not be intimidated or distracted from that responsibility,” Shaibu said.

He also appealed to party members and supporters to remain calm, assuring them that the party would press ahead with its political engagements and campaign activities.

“Our campaigns continue without interruption. There is no stopping the affordability train or our mission to make life better for Nigerians,” he added.

The legal showdown followed a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC National Deputy Chairman for the North-East, who challenged the emergence of Mark and other members of the caretaker committee after the resignation of former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.

Bala had argued that he was constitutionally entitled to take over the party's leadership following Nwosu's departure.

However, the dispute took a major turn on November 5 when Justice Lifu ruled against the Mark-led leadership, nullifying the caretaker committee and its decisions, including actions connected to the party's process for selecting its 2027 presidential candidate.

The judgment also cast uncertainty over the process that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the ADC's presidential candidate.

Reacting to the ruling, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the judgment as an attempt to cripple the opposition and deny Nigerians the right to choose their leaders.

With the ADC now taking the fight to the appellate court, the party's leadership crisis has entered a new phase, setting the stage for another major legal battle with potentially significant implications for its leadership structure and preparations for the 2027 elections.