ADC Sues INEC, demand restoration of leadership names.

Abuja — The African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by David Mark, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reverse changes made to its leadership records on the commission’s official portal.
In a motion on notice filed before Justice Emeka Nwite, the party is asking for an order of mandatory injunction setting aside INEC’s decision to remove members of its National Working Committee (NWC) from its records.
The ADC is also challenging INEC’s refusal to monitor its congresses and forthcoming national convention, arguing that the actions of the electoral body undermine its constitutional rights and internal administrative processes.
The suit marks a significant escalation in the dispute between the opposition party and INEC, with potential implications for party regulation and electoral governance in Nigeria.
The court is expected to hear the matter in due course.BREAKING: ADC Drags INEC to Court Over Leadership Records Dispute
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by David Mark, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore the names of its National Working Committee members to the commission’s official portal.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, follows INEC’s removal of key party officials — including Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary — from its records on April 1.
In a motion on notice dated April 7, filed through counsel Sulaiman Usman (SAN), the ADC chairman is asking the court to issue a mandatory injunction directing INEC to immediately reinstate the party’s leadership structure as it existed prior to the dispute.
The application, brought under Order 26 Rules 1 to 4 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, seeks, among other reliefs, an order setting aside INEC’s decision to delete the names of the party’s National Working Committee members and its refusal to monitor the party’s congresses and convention pending the determination of the case.
Specifically, the plaintiff is requesting the court to compel INEC to restore and maintain the records of David Mark as National Chairman, Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, alongside all members of the National Executive Committee. The motion also seeks a restraining order barring the electoral body from further tampering with the party’s leadership records or recognising any rival claims until the suit is resolved.
The legal action stems from the aftermath of a March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal in a dispute initiated by Nafiu Gombe, a former deputy national chairman of the party, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court.
In his supporting argument, Usman maintained that the appellate court had directed all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum—the last uncontested position before the commencement of litigation. He argued that as of September 2, 2025, when the suit was instituted, David Mark remained the duly recognised National Chairman of the ADC, making the case fit for the court’s equitable intervention.
In a related motion filed the same day, the plaintiff is also seeking an accelerated hearing, citing the urgency and potential impact of the dispute on the party’s operations. The application urges the court to abridge timelines for filing processes and to adopt a day-to-day hearing schedule until final determination.