TDThe African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by Senator David Mark, has filed a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The party is seeking an order compelling the electoral body to restore the names of its top officials to INEC’s official portal.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, was instituted after INEC removed the name of Senator Mark, listed as National Chairman.
INEC also removed the name of former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, National Secretary, from its records on April 1.
The party described the action as unlawful and damaging to its operations.
In a motion on notice dated April 7, ADC’s counsel, Sulaiman Usman, SAN, asked the court to issue a mandatory injunction directing INEC to immediately restore the names of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) members.
Usman argued that the deletion undermines the party’s ability to function and violates established legal principles.
Reliefs Sought by ADC
The application, filed under Order 26 Rules 1 to 4 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, seeks three principal reliefs.
First, it asks the court to set aside INEC’s decision to remove the names of ADC’s leaders and its refusal to monitor the party’s congresses and conventions.
Second, it requests an order directing INEC to restore and maintain the records of Senator Mark, Aregbesola, and other members of the National Executive Committee.
Third, it seeks an injunction restraining INEC from interfering with the party’s leadership records or recognising rival claims until the case is resolved.
The motion is a direct response to a March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal in a dispute initiated by former deputy national chairman Nafiu Gombe.
That case, heard by Justice James Omotosho, had sparked internal divisions within the party.
Broader Effects of the ADC Suit
Usman argued that the appellate court had ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum—the last uncontested state of affairs before litigation began.
He stressed that as of September 2, 2025, Senator Mark was the recognised national chairman, and INEC’s deletion violated that order.
“This is a proper case for the exercise of the equitable jurisdiction of this honourable court,” Usman stated in his seven-point argument.
In a related application filed on April 7, but dated April 2, ADC also asked for an accelerated hearing of the matter.
The party urged the court to abridge the time for filing and exchange of processes and to conduct day-to-day hearings until the suit is determined.
According to the party, the urgency is necessary because the dispute has far-reaching implications for its stability and participation in upcoming elections.
The case is expected to test the boundaries of INEC’s powers over party records.
It could also set a precedent for how internal disputes within political parties are managed ahead of the 2027 polls.
