The Supreme Court this Thursday evening, April 30, 2026, resolved the leadership tussle in the main opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) by ruling in favour of the mainstream faction led by Senator David Mark. The faction parades political heavyweights such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former governors Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.

The highly-anticipated judgment came exactly nine days after the five-member panel of justices of the apex court reserved their verdict in the appeals surrounding the authentic leadership of the two parties.

Today’s verdict clears the coast for the David Mark-led leadership to participate and as well field candidates in all elective offices at the 2027 general election.

The judgment was for the case between the Senator David Mark-led leadership the one led by a former Deputy National Chairman of ADC, Hon Nafiu Bala Gombe.

At the last proceedings before the verdict, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, who represented David Mark, urged the apex court to allow the appeal, on the grounds that the apex court had in a judgment delivered on March 21, 2025, put an end to the issue before the court, when it held that, “no court has jurisdiction to entertain cases bordering on internal affairs of political parties”.

Okutepa therefore urged the apex court to allow the appeal and hold that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain a suit bordering on the ADC’s internal matters.

Robert Emukpero, SAN, who represented the 1st respondent, Hon Nafiu Gombe however, urged the apex court to reject the appeal and affirm the judgment of the lower court, which held that the case of the appellant was premature and dismissed it.

After taking arguments from all parties, Justice Mohammed Garba, who presided over the proceedings, subsequently announced that judgment is reserved to a date that would be communicated to parties.

It would be recalled that the appellate court had in a ruling in the appeal filed by the Mark-led leadership against the ruling of a Federal High Court, Abuja, had last month ordered status quo ante bellum.

Based on the ruling of the appellate court, INEC subsequently withdrew the recognition accorded to the Mark-led faction as authentic leadership of the ADC.

Gombe, had last year dragged the Mark-led leadership before Justice Emeka Nwite, to challenge the leadership of the ADC led by David Mark.

He had among others sought for an order restraining the Mark-led leadership from parading themselves as leaders of the ADC, adding that he remains the authentic leader of the party, following the resignation of the then chairman and other members of the executive.

Senator David Mark was announced as the chairman of an interim national executive of the ADC, at a meeting in Abuja, last year and his chairmanship substantiated at the convention of the party held recently.

However, Justice Nwite had declined to issue a restraining order against the Mark-led leadership but rather ordered the applicant to put the defendants on notice.

Reacting, David Mark had approached the appellate court to challenge the jurisdiction of Nwite to entertain the suit by Gombe in the first place.

While insisting that the trial court cannot entertain the suit suit by Gombe, for being an internal matter of the ADC, Mark also argued that the trial court became functus officio when he refused the grant of the restraining order against the Mark-led leadership.

But, the appellate court in its judgment last month dismissed Mark’s appeal and returned the case to the trial court.

While the appellate court had ordered accelerated hearing in the matter, it went ahead to order status quo ante bellum, an order which INEC acted upon to de-recognized the Mark leadership as well as removed their names from INEC’s portal.

Displeased, Mark approached the Supreme Court to set aside the ruling of the appellate court.

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