The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will no longer accept correspondence from either faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark or Rafiu Bala, following its review of the March 12 Court of Appeal judgment.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Mohammed Kudu, INEC commissioner for information and voter education, said the commission will also refrain from engaging with both groups or monitoring their meetings, congresses, and conventions pending the determination of the case before the Federal High Court.
Kudu said INEC received a letter from the law firm of Suleiman Usman SAN & Co., dated March 16, 2026, titled: “RE: Notice of Pending Proceedings Before the Federal High Court and Caution Against Any Purported Recognition of Mr. Nafiu Bala Gombe as Acting National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC),” written on behalf of concerned stakeholders within the ADC.
The commissioner added that the commission also received a letter from the law firm of Summit Law Chambers, also dated March 16, 2026, titled: “Demand for Enforcement of the Orders Made by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/145/2026: Senator David Mark v Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe & 4 Ors,” written on behalf of Gombe.
Kudu noted that while the letter from Suleiman Usman SAN & Co. urged the commission not to recognise Gombe as acting national chairman due to a pending suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the correspondence from Summit Law Chambers took a contrary position.
According to him, the latter attached a certified true copy of the Court of Appeal judgment and requested the commission to enforce the ruling.
He said the law firm’s requests include ceasing recognition of Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary of the ADC, respectively; removing their names from the commission’s portal; and refraining from dealing with or recognising any actions taken by them in respect of the party, in line with the preservatory orders made by the Court of Appeal.
Kudu said that in another letter dated March 27, 2026, Summit Law Chambers alleged that the commission had acted in disobedience of the Court of Appeal’s orders.
According to him, the law firm claimed that INEC erred by inviting Mark’s group to a political parties’ meeting held on March 24, 2026, and monitoring a purported National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of that group.
He said the solicitors also drew the commission’s attention to motions filed on December 15, 2025, seeking to restrain the ADC from holding any convention, congress, conference, or meeting, and to stop INEC from recognising any of its activities.
They subsequently asked the commission to invalidate the NEC meeting held by Mark’s group on March 25, remove the group’s name from the INEC portal, and stop recognising or acknowledging correspondence from them pending the determination of the suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The firm also urged INEC to allow Gombe to take over the affairs of the party pending the resolution of the case and to comply with the Court of Appeal orders in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/145/2026.
The commission, in its statement, noted that the orders of the Court of Appeal are central to the ADC leadership dispute.
According to INEC, the Court of Appeal, in its judgment delivered on March 12, 2026, dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by Mark and issued several preservatory orders.
The court stated that the orders were necessary to protect the integrity of the proceedings and the eventual determination of the substantive suit pending before the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025.
INEC observed that the current National Working Committee (NWC) of the party emerged from a National Executive Committee meeting held on July 29, 2025, after members of the Ralph Okey Nwosu-led executive resigned and ratified a new leadership headed by Mark.
INEC noted that Gombe, who was vice-national chairman, denied resigning and argued that he should have assumed leadership following Nwosu’s resignation, in line with the party’s constitution.
The commission said Gombe subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Abuja on September 2, 2025, seeking an order restraining Mark’s group from parading themselves as national chairman and secretary of the party, as well as directing INEC to recognise him as acting national chairman.
INEC added that motions were filed alongside the originating summons to restrain the commission from recognising Mark’s group.
Following the appellate court judgment, the commission said it received multiple letters from solicitors to both parties, making competing claims to the party’s leadership.
