ADC crisis: Faction asks INEC to sack Mark, Aregbesola

A fresh twist has emerged in the leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as a rival faction has formally petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw recognition from the party’s current leadership.

The faction led by Nafiu Bala is seeking to take control of the party, urging INEC to remove former Senate President David Mark and ex-minister Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and Secretary, respectively.

Bala’s move follows a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal, which dismissed an appeal filed by Mark challenging an earlier decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The appellate court held that the appeal was procedurally incompetent, having been filed without the required leave, and directed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Relying on the ruling, Bala, through his counsel, Robert Emukpoeruo (SAN), wrote to INEC on March 16, asking the commission to stop recognising the current leadership and instead acknowledge him as the rightful national chairman.

In the letter, Bala’s camp argued that the court’s directive to maintain the “status quo ante bellum” and avoid actions that could prejudice the case effectively invalidates any recent leadership changes.

However, a counter-position has emerged from another legal practitioner, Dr Sulaimon Usman (SAN), who also wrote to INEC urging caution. He advised the commission not to recognise any new claimant to the party leadership until the Federal High Court delivers a final judgment, stressing that the existing leadership structure remains valid.

Meanwhile, tensions escalated further as Abdullahi, a figure within the party, alleged that elements within the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were pressuring INEC to deregister the Mark-led leadership in a broader political strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.

He claimed the alleged plan was to weaken opposition forces and prevent the ADC from fielding a presidential candidate, thereby giving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu an unchallenged path in the next general election.

The allegations were swiftly dismissed by APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, who described them as baseless and irresponsible. He maintained that neither the Presidency nor the APC is involved in the ADC’s internal disputes.

Basiru emphasised that the crisis is purely an internal matter and urged the ADC to comply with the court’s directive to maintain the status quo. He added that any dissatisfaction with the ruling should be addressed at the Supreme Court rather than through public accusations.

As the legal battle continues, INEC is now faced with mounting pressure from opposing sides, with the final resolution of the leadership tussle expected to hinge on the outcome of the substantive case before the Federal High Court.