ADC leadership crisis deepens as Supreme Court reserves judgment in Mark, Bala dispute
The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved judgment in the appeal filed by former Senate President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) national chairman, David Mark, challenging rival faction leader, Nafiu Bala.
A five-member panel led by Justice Lawal Garba announced the decision after lawyers representing both parties adopted their final written arguments.
The court said the date for judgment would be communicated to all parties.
Mark is seeking to overturn a March 12 ruling of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed his earlier appeal on the party’s leadership dispute. He had also asked the apex court for an order staying execution of the appellate court’s decision.
The Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, held that Mark’s appeal was incompetent, noting that it raised issues not grounded in the trial court’s ruling.
The dispute traces back to a September 4, 2025 ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice Emeka Nwite declined to grant injunctive reliefs sought by the Bala faction.
The prolonged leadership crisis has left the ADC without a clearly recognised national leadership structure.
In a development that deepened the uncertainty, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on April 1 withdrew recognition from both the Mark and Bala factions, citing a subsisting Court of Appeal order maintaining the status quo ante bellum.
INEC said it would not deal with any faction until the courts deliver a final resolution, a stance with potential implications for the party’s participation in the 2027 general elections.
The Mark-led camp insists its leadership emerged through due process, citing a series of National Executive Committee (NEC) resolutions in 2025, including the July 29 approval of a caretaker arrangement.
It argues that under Article 13 of the ADC constitution, the NEC is empowered to oversee party administration, implement convention decisions, and constitute interim structures where necessary.
The faction also relies on Articles 17(3) and 17(4) to justify its transition process, insisting that vacancies were lawfully filled through executive mechanisms.
On eligibility, it maintains that the two-year membership requirement under Article 9(4) was validly waived by NEC resolutions to accommodate coalition arrangements.
It further argues that its earlier recognition by INEC in September 2025, alongside congresses and the April 14 national convention, affirms its legitimacy.
