The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will no longer recognise or engage with either faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark and Rafiu Bala, pending the resolution of an ongoing legal battle.
INEC disclosed this in a statement issued by its Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Kudu, following a review of a recent Court of Appeal judgment delivered on March 12, 2026.
According to the commission, it has decided to maintain the “status quo ante bellum,” effectively reverting to the situation that existed before the legal dispute began in September 2025.
“The Commission will no longer accept correspondences from either faction of the party, nor will it monitor meetings, congresses, or conventions organised by the groups until the matter before the Federal High Court is determined,” the statement read.
INEC also confirmed that it would remove the name of David Mark from its official portal as part of the measures taken in response to the dispute.
The crisis within the ADC stems from a leadership tussle that followed the resignation of the party’s former National Working Committee led by Ralph Nwosu in July 2025. The resignation paved the way for a caretaker committee headed by Mark.
However, Rafiu Bala, who was the party’s vice national chairman, challenged the arrangement, insisting he should have automatically succeeded the former chairman. He subsequently approached the court to contest the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership.
The case, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja in September 2025, sought to restrain Mark and his associates from presenting themselves as the party’s leadership.
Although Mark appealed an earlier court directive, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal in March 2026, further complicating the situation.
“Our decision is guided by the need to uphold the rule of law and ensure neutrality while the court resolves the leadership dispute,” INEC stated.
The ADC had gained political prominence in 2025 when an opposition coalition adopted it as a platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
