Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has reinstated the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark on its official portal, in a move that signals a shift in its position amid the party’s protracted leadership crisis.
Also listed alongside Mark is Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s national secretary, according to updates observed on the commission’s website on Thursday evening.
The development spotted on INEC’s website comes weeks after INEC removed the Mark-led executive in early April, citing a Court of Appeal ruling on the dispute over the party’s leadership.
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The latest update effectively reverses that earlier decision and restores the faction’s visibility on the commission’s official platform, even as the legal battle over the party’s control remains unresolved.
The leadership tussle within the ADC has pitted the Mark-led camp against a rival group backed by Nafiu Bala, a former national vice-chairman of the party, with both sides laying claim to legitimacy.
However, in a fresh twist on Thursday, the Supreme Court directed Mark to return to the Federal High Court for the hearing and determination of issues arising from the dispute.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, the apex court faulted the Court of Appeal’s earlier directive asking parties to maintain status quo ante bellum.
Despite the subsisting litigation, INEC’s updated portal now displays the full leadership structure of the ADC under Mark, including key national officers, suggesting administrative recognition pending the final resolution of the case.
