BREAKING: Independent National Electoral Commission Freezes Engagement with African Democratic Congress Factions Over Court Dispute.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will suspend all engagements with factions of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) pending the resolution of an ongoing leadership dispute before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The decision follows conflicting legal claims arising from a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on March 12, 2026, in a case involving David Mark and Nafiu Bala Gombe.
In a detailed statement issued on April 1, INEC said it had received separate communications from legal representatives of both factions, each urging the commission to recognise their respective leadership claims. While one side cautioned against recognising Gombe due to a pending suit, the other demanded enforcement of the appellate court’s judgment, including the removal of Mark and other officials from INEC’s records.
INEC noted that the Court of Appeal had ordered parties to maintain the “status quo ante bellum” and refrain from actions that could prejudice the substantive case before the Federal High Court.
Based on this directive, the commission resolved to take a neutral position by halting all dealings with either faction. It stated that it would no longer receive correspondence, monitor party activities, or recognise any meetings, congresses, or conventions conducted by any group within the ADC.
The commission also confirmed that the names of the current National Working Committee led by David Mark, previously uploaded to its portal in September 2025, would be removed in compliance with the court’s order to preserve the status quo.
INEC further rejected requests to recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe as acting national chairman pending the court’s decision, maintaining that doing so would amount to taking sides in a matter still before the judiciary.
The electoral body reaffirmed its commitment to neutrality, adherence to due process, and respect for judicial authority, urging political actors to avoid actions that could undermine the legal process or disrupt preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The leadership crisis within the ADC continues to deepen, with the final determination of the case now left to the Federal High Court in Abuja.
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