By Ayodele Oni
Following Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling which affirmed the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as authentic leadership, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has returned the names of Senator David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, others back to its website as the national leadership of the party.
The update, observed on Thursday evening, followed a ruling by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, effectively reversing an earlier move by the commission to delist the Mark-led executive amid the party’s protracted leadership dispute.
INEC had in early April removed the faction from its portal, citing an earlier decision of the Court of Appeal which directed parties to maintain the status quo in the crisis.
The dispute has seen competing claims to the party’s leadership, with a rival bloc linked to a former national vice-chairman also asserting control.
In its unanimous judgement delivered by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, the apex court faulted the appellate court’s directive, describing the order to maintain status quo ante bellum as unnecessary in the circumstances of the case.
The court, however, directed that substantive issues surrounding the leadership tussle be returned to the Federal High Court for determination.
Following the ruling, INEC reinstated the ADC leadership page, now reflecting the full list of national officers under Mark.
The development is being viewed as a significant reprieve for the opposition party, which has been seeking to consolidate its structure ahead of future electoral contests.
Despite the restoration, legal battles within the party persist. A Federal High Court in Abuja had, shortly before the Supreme Court ruling, restrained INEC from recognising state congresses conducted by the Mark-led leadership, citing concerns over the tenure of existing state executives.
The crisis within the ADC has, in recent months, deepened divisions, with party leaders trading accusations over control of its structures.
Some stakeholders have alleged external interference, claiming that the ruling All Progressives Congress is benefiting from the instability—an allegation the APC has consistently denied.
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