The Supreme Court stayed the ruling on David Mark’s appeal over the ADC leadership crisis

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has overturned a final decision in a high-stakes legal battle over the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), deepening uncertainty within the opposition party.

The apex court, which convened in Abuja on Wednesday, postponed the decision after all parties formally received their written submissions. The five-member panel was headed by Justice Mohammed Garba.

At the center of the dispute is former Senate President David Mark, who leads one faction of the party and has asked the court to overturn an earlier Court of Appeal decision delivered on March 12.

In his appeal, Mark argued that the appeals court had overstepped its bounds by intervening in what he described as an internal party matter, arguing that the dispute was outside the court’s jurisdiction.

The Court of Appeal had previously directed all parties to maintain the status quo pending resolution of the leadership dispute—a decision Mark is now asking the Supreme Court to set aside.

The crisis stemmed from a lawsuit filed by aggrieved members of the party led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the legitimacy of the Mark-aligned leadership structure.

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Also participating as respondents in the case are the ADC itself, its National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the party’s former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu.

As part of his relief, Mark is seeking a court order ordering INEC to only recognize his faction as the legitimate leadership of the party pending a final decision on the case.

However, opponents have urged the Supreme Court to reject the appeal, insisting that the lower court acted within its authority and that the matter requires legal intervention.

Meanwhile, internal disputes have had regulatory consequences. INEC has removed the names of all rival leaders from its official records and refused to grant recognition to any faction until the court delivers a definitive verdict.

With no decision yet taken, political observers say the Supreme Court’s final decision could have far-reaching implications—not just for the ADC, but also for the broader question of how far Nigerian courts can go in adjudicating internal party disputes.