ADC Appeals Ruling Sacking Mark-Led Leadership, Cautions INEC

The Federal High Court ruled that the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress was not valid. Justice Peter Lifu nullified the caretaker committee and its decisions. The ruling matters because those decisions included actions connected to the ADC’s process for selecting its 2027 presidential candidate.

The case was brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC National Deputy Chairman for the North-East. He argued that the party constitution entitled him to take leadership after former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu resigned. The court ruled against Mark and the other caretaker committee members.

The judgment also affected the process that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the ADC’s presidential candidate. The party has filed a notice of appeal and sought a stay of execution. It says the appeal will challenge the judgment while its political activities continue.

A notice of appeal is a formal legal document that begins a challenge to a lower court’s decision. It identifies the decision being challenged and signals that the appellant wants a higher court to review it. Filing the notice does not automatically cancel or suspend the original judgment.

Here, the ADC says it filed a notice against Justice Peter Lifu’s November 5, 2026 judgment. The party wants the Court of Appeal to reconsider the ruling that nullified David Mark’s caretaker leadership, the committee itself, and its decisions. Those decisions included actions linked to the 2027 presidential-candidate selection process.

The ADC also filed an application for a stay of execution. That separate request asks the court to pause the judgment’s operation while the appeal is pending. The party notified INEC and urged it not to take consequential action before the appellate court considers the dispute.

A stay of execution is a court order that temporarily stops a judgment from being implemented. It preserves the existing position while a higher court considers an appeal. The order is not a final decision on whether the original judgment was right or wrong.

The ADC says its application for a stay has been filed but not yet determined. Its lawyers, S. E. Aruwa, SAN & Co., wrote to the INEC chairman on November 6, notifying the commission of both the appeal and the stay application. They asked INEC to suspend further action on the suit’s subject matter.

The party fears that INEC could act before the Court of Appeal hears the case. Shaibu said such action might pre-empt the appellate court and undermine the dispute’s resolution. The requested stay would therefore preserve the position while the legal challenge proceeds.

The judgment potentially affects a major part of the ADC’s 2027 political organisation. It nullified the caretaker committee and its decisions, including actions connected with selecting the party’s presidential candidate. It also affected the process that produced Atiku Abubakar as the ADC’s candidate. The article does not quantify the impact as a percentage, number of events, or amount of campaign activity.

The key mechanism is the court’s finding against the Mark-led leadership. If that leadership and its decisions are nullified, decisions made through the committee may also be questioned. The ruling therefore reaches beyond a title dispute and into the party’s candidate-selection process.

The ADC says its political work will continue. Shaibu stated that campaigns and preparations for the 2027 general election would not stop. The party is appealing and seeking a stay, while asking INEC to take no consequential action until the appeal is heard.

If INEC acts before the Court of Appeal decides the stay request or appeal, its action could give practical effect to the Federal High Court judgment. That might affect how the commission treats the ADC’s leadership or related candidate-selection records. The article does not specify a particular INEC action or say that one has already occurred.

The ADC has formally notified INEC of its notice of appeal and stay application. Its lawyers asked the commission to suspend further action on the suit’s subject matter. Phrank Shaibu said acting while the proceedings remain pending could pre-empt the Court of Appeal.

The central risk is conflicting developments. INEC could act on the judgment, while the appellate court could later suspend, alter, or overturn it. The ADC therefore wants the commission to wait. Meanwhile, the party says its campaigns and preparations for the 2027 election continue.

Electoral commissions generally administer election-related processes and interact with political parties over their recognised structures and candidates. That gives INEC a practical role when a court judgment challenges who leads a party or which process produced its candidate. The article does not spell out every legal power INEC has, but it shows that the commission may take consequential action on the dispute.

The ADC notified INEC through Phrank Shaibu and through a letter from S. E. Aruwa, SAN & Co. The lawyers asked the commission to suspend further action while the appeal and stay application are pending. The request concerns the leadership ruling and connected candidate-selection matters.

The issue is timing. INEC’s action could affect the party’s position before the Court of Appeal rules. Shaibu said this might pre-empt the appellate court and undermine the dispute’s resolution. The ADC therefore asks INEC to respect the pending judicial process, while continuing its political activities.

In a democracy, a political party normally manages its internal leadership and candidate-selection procedures. Courts review disputes about whether those actions comply with the law or the party’s governing rules. An electoral commission handles election administration and may need to respond to the party’s recognised leadership or candidate records.

This case shows the roles in practice. Nafiu Bala Gombe challenged Mark’s emergence after Ralph Nwosu resigned, claiming he was constitutionally entitled to lead. Justice Peter Lifu nullified the caretaker committee and related decisions. The ADC then appealed and asked INEC to suspend consequential action.

The current balance remains unsettled because the stay application has not been determined. The court has issued the challenged ruling, the ADC is pursuing appellate review, and INEC has been asked to wait. The party says its campaigns and 2027 preparations will continue despite the dispute.