Supreme Court Reinstates David Mark as ADC Leader Amid Crisis

The Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a ruling on April 30, 2026, setting aside a Court of Appeal order that had frozen the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The decision restored Senator David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, prompting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly reinstate their names on the official party portal.

Despite the restoration, the ruling was procedural and did not resolve the substantive leadership dispute. The apex court remanded the case to the Federal High Court for an accelerated hearing to determine the authentic national leadership, leaving the party entangled in litigation involving rival factions led by Nafiu Bala. This uncertainty coincided with a May 10, 2026, INEC deadline for submitting membership registers, a failure of which could disqualify aspirants from the 2027 general elections.

The crisis triggered a wave of departures. Representative Leke Abejide resigned on May 1, alleging the party had been hijacked and citing legal frustrations. Similarly, Kabiru Adamu Abdullahi resigned in Kano following orders from Kwankwasiyya leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Further complicating the party's survival, Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi supported a suit to deregister the ADC and four other parties for failing to meet constitutional performance thresholds.

While ADC officials like David Mark and Atiku Abubakar expressed confidence in the party's future, critics including Eze Chukwuemeka Eze accused the government of using the judiciary to undermine opposition forces. In a separate political development, Jandor Abdul-Azeez Adediran withdrew from the APC Lagos governorship race following President Bola Tinubu's endorsement of Obafemi Hamzat.