Supreme Court restores David Mark-led ADC leadership in major legal victory
By Editor Public Eye News
Abuja, Nigeria
April 30, 2026
Nigeria’s Supreme Court has restored the leadership of the African Democratic Congress led by former Senate President, David Mark, in a decisive ruling that reshapes the party’s ongoing leadership crisis.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, a five-member panel of the apex court, headed by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, set aside an earlier directive by the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal which ordered parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum.
The Supreme Court held that the appellate court acted outside its jurisdiction by issuing such an order after it had already dismissed the substantive appeal filed before it.
“Giving such an order in an appeal it had already dismissed was unnecessary, unwarranted and improper,” the court ruled.
The judgment means that the leadership structure headed by Mark is effectively reinstated, marking a significant legal victory for his faction within the party.
However, the apex court ruled that Mark’s appeal only succeeded in part, as it dismissed his challenge against an earlier ex parte order of the Federal High Court concerning the service of court processes initiated by aggrieved party members.
The Supreme Court further directed all parties involved in the dispute to return to the trial court for the continuation of proceedings on the substantive matter.
The ruling comes weeks after the Independent National Electoral Commission removed the names of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from its official portal as National Chairman and Secretary of the ADC, respectively. INEC had cited the earlier Court of Appeal decision and maintained that it would not recognise any faction pending the resolution of the legal dispute.
With the Supreme Court’s latest verdict, legal analysts say the political landscape within the ADC may shift significantly, although the final determination of the leadership tussle now returns to the lower court.
About The Author
