ADC NEC chairmen have threatened nationwide protests unless INEC removes David Mark from its portal and recognises Nafiu Bala Gombe following a court ruling
ADC Leaders Demand David Mark’s Removal, Threaten Nationwide Protest
By Newsheadline247
The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has intensified, with the party’s National Executive Committee Chairmen Forum threatening a nationwide protest if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fails to remove Senator David Mark and members of his dissolved interim leadership from its records.
The forum has demanded that INEC immediately replace the names of Mark and other members of the dissolved Interim National Working Committee on its official portal with those of Nafiu Bala Gombe and other officials it considers the party’s legally recognised leaders.
It also urged the electoral commission to reopen its candidate nomination portal to enable the party to conduct fresh primaries where necessary and submit its candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The demands followed a judgment delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the Mark-led interim leadership of the opposition party and invalidated decisions taken under its authority.
The Secretary of the NEC Chairmen Forum, Kennedy Odion, made the demands while addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, insisting that INEC must implement the court’s decision without further delay.
Odion said the judgment had vindicated the forum’s position that the Mark-led interim leadership was not constituted in accordance with the ADC constitution.
He maintained that the ruling also affected the validity of decisions taken by the dissolved leadership, including the nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate and the emergence of other candidates through congresses and a national convention organised by the interim committee.
“We, the only legally recognised NEC members, accept in its entirety the judgement declaring our own Alhaji Nafiu Bala Gombe the authentic national chairman of the ADC.
“Failure to comply with this latest judgement will leave us no option but to proceed with our planned nationwide protest against the electoral umpire. Nigeria is for all of us. No individual, however highly placed, is above the law,” he said.
The forum further argued that the court’s decision had implications for Atiku’s presidential candidacy, his running mate and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as well as other politicians who emerged through electoral processes organised by the Mark-led interim leadership.
Odion insisted that the affected candidates could not claim legitimacy through processes conducted by a leadership whose actions had been nullified by the court.
The forum called on INEC to act in accordance with the judgment and make the necessary changes to its records to reflect the leadership recognised by the court.
It also urged the commission to provide the party with sufficient time to organise fresh primaries and submit its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
The latest development adds another layer to the prolonged leadership dispute within the ADC, which has generated multiple court cases and competing claims over the party’s legitimate leadership.
The party’s crisis has also raised questions about the status of its candidates for the 2027 general elections, particularly following the Federal High Court’s decision to invalidate the actions of the Mark-led interim leadership.
Meanwhile, the ADC has indicated that it will challenge Justice Lifu’s judgment at the appellate court, setting the stage for further legal battles over the party’s leadership and electoral future. The unfolding dispute places INEC under renewed pressure as the rival camps seek recognition and control of the party’s structures ahead of the 2027 general elections
