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Former Senate President David Mark has written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, demanding a swift ruling on the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Mark, who is the national chairman of a faction of the ADC, said the party risks being excluded from the 2027 elections if the Supreme Court fails to deliver a verdict on the leadership dispute.
He added that the fate of the party lies entirely with the Supreme Court, warning that any exclusion of the ADC from the 2027 elections would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians.
“However, My Lord, we are most respectfully constrained to request my Lord’s kind intervention and directive in ensuring that the judgment is rendered timeously, having regard to 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 derecognise the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, leaving the ADC without leadership at the moment even though the ADC remains a recognised registered political party in Nigeria,” the letter read.
“My Lord, we are mindful of the enormous responsibilities and workload of this Honourable Court. We are equally aware that justice delayed, in this peculiar circumstance, would amount to justice denied. The entire political future of our client and the legitimate expectations of its members nationwide now hang in the balance. We thank Your Lordships as we look forward for Your Lordships kind intervention.”
The Supreme Court sat on April 22, 2026, to hear the ADC suit and reserved judgment after listening to all parties. Mark argued that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction in ordering the maintenance of the status quo ante bellum in a suit filed by aggrieved party members led by Nafiu-Bala Gombe, insisting that the matter was an internal party dispute.
Following the Court of Appeal’s verdict, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) halted recognition of the Mark-led faction of the ADC and removed the names of its National Working Committee members from its portal on April 1.
The ADC, which has vowed to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, recently held its national convention. Members of the Mark-led faction also staged a protest, demanding recognition.
