The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has withdrawn recognition of the David Mark-led National Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), effective Wednesday. This follows a Court of Appeal order directing INEC to maintain the status quo ante bellum in the party's leadership dispute. INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Kudu Haruna stated the commission would no longer engage any faction of the ADC, including receiving communications or monitoring party meetings, until the Federal High Court, Abuja, resolves the matter. The names of the NWC members, uploaded on 9 September 2025—seven days after a lawsuit was filed—will be removed from the INEC portal.
A rival ADC faction led by Nafiu Bala had earlier stormed INEC's headquarters, demanding recognition as the legitimate leadership based on a 12 March 2026 Court of Appeal judgment. Bala's Special Adviser, Abimiku Monday, led chants including "Obey the Court" and "No to impunity." INEC declined to allow Bala to assume control pending the trial court's decision. Meanwhile, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed received a high-powered APC delegation led by National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and Kano Governor Kabiru Abba Yusuf. The visit followed a similar courtship by ADC officials, as Mohammed weighs a move from the PDP ahead of 2027.
Bala Mohammed is playing a waiting game while two parties send top brass to woo him, and that gives him leverage — not loyalty — as his real currency. The INEC move against David Mark's ADC panel shows the commission will follow court orders, but it doesn't resolve the chaos eating away at small parties. For Nigerian voters, this spectacle signals that party leadership is less about ideology and more about who controls access to power. Governor Mohammed's eventual choice won't heal the PDP's wounds — it will only reward the highest bidder in a political marketplace.
