Supreme Court to hear Senator David Mark's appeal regarding ADC national chairmanship on Tuesday

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear an appeal filed by Senator David Mark, the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, on Tuesday, April 14. Mark is seeking an order to stay the execution of a March 12 judgment from the Court of Appeal. The appeal, with number SC/CV/180/2026, lists Hon. Nafiu-Bala Gombe, ADC, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, and Chief Ralph Nwosu as respondents. Mark's lawyer, Realwan Okpanachi, has requested that the court restrain INEC from recognizing any individuals other than Mark and the current national officers of the ADC, and from altering the party's leadership structure, pending the appeal's determination. The motion also seeks to halt further proceedings in a related case before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court. Okpanachi argues that the Court of Appeal's judgment, which ordered parties to maintain status quo ante bellum, is being interpreted by Gombe to prevent INEC from dealing with Mark, effectively enforcing a judgment that Mark is challenging. INEC had previously removed Mark and Aregbesola's names from its portal following the Court of Appeal's judgment. Mark has since filed a motion with Justice Nwite to restore their names. The original suit was filed by Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC, who challenged the legitimacy of Mark and Aregbesola's leadership, alleging breaches of the party's constitution and the Electoral Act.