The Supreme Court of Nigeria has struck out an application filed by David Mark seeking to suspend the enforcement of a previous judgment affecting the leadership of the African Democratic Congress.
The decision followed the withdrawal of the request by Mark’s legal representative, Jibril Okutekpa, during proceedings before a five-member panel led by Justice Lawal Garba.
While addressing the court, Okutekpa argued that the interpretation of the earlier Appeal Court ruling by the Independent National Electoral Commission had created uncertainty within the party’s leadership structure. According to him, the directive to maintain the previous state of affairs had effectively left the party without a clearly recognised leadership.
He urged the court to treat the matter with urgency, citing the limited time available before the 2027 general elections.
In response, the apex court issued procedural orders aimed at accelerating the hearing process. These included shortening timelines for filing legal documents to ensure a timely resolution of the dispute.
The court subsequently fixed April 22, 2026, for the substantive hearing of the case.
The leadership crisis within the party originated from a legal challenge filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former deputy national chairman, who is contesting the legitimacy of the current leadership arrangement involving Mark and Rauf Aregbesola.
As part of his claims, Gombe is seeking a court order to prevent both men and others from presenting themselves as party leaders, while also asking that INEC refrain from recognising them in any official capacity.
Following the earlier court ruling, INEC removed the names of Mark and Aregbesola from its official records, citing compliance with judicial directives and related communications.
The outcome of the case is expected to determine the future leadership of the party as political activities gradually intensify ahead of the next general elections
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