The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed the names of African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Chairman David Mark and National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola from its official records. This decision, announced in a statement by National Commissioner Mallam Mohammed Kudu Haruna on Wednesday, stems from ongoing legal battles between rival factions of the party. INEC confirmed it has also declined to recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe's faction, as he is currently pursuing a court declaration to become national chairman. The commission will not monitor any party conventions or congresses linked to any of the contested leadership groups.
INEC's position follows conflicting legal submissions: a letter dated March 16, 2026, from Suleiman Usman SAN & Co, cautioning against recognising Gombe, and a "Demand for Enforcement" from Summit Law Chambers, representing Gombe, calling for the removal of Mark and Aregbesola from INEC's database. The electoral body cited the Court of Appeal's judgment in Suit No. CA/ABJ/145/2026 as further complicating the leadership dispute. INEC will withhold recognition of all ADC factions until the Federal High Court delivers a final judgment on the matter. The commission reiterated its neutrality and urged political actors to avoid actions that could disrupt preparations for the 2027 general elections.
David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola are no longer recognised by INEC as leaders of the ADC, and that erasure from official records is not just bureaucratic—it is political death for their faction. With INEC refusing to engage any faction until the courts decide, the ADC's momentum ahead of 2027 has been frozen at a critical moment. The party's appeal to disaffected bigwigs means little if its internal chaos prevents it from functioning as a legal entity. For Nigerians hoping for a strong third-force alternative, this is not just a setback—it is a collapse in slow motion.
