A full blown leadership crisis has erupted inside the African Democratic Congress (ADC), throwing the party into paralysis just months before the 2027 general elections. In an unprecedented move, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has deleted the names of the Senator David Mark–led National Working Committee (NWC) from its official portal and announced that it will no longer recognize, monitor, or engage with any faction of the party until the Federal High Court rules on the matter. The decision, announced late Wednesday by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, marks one of the most consequential interventions by the electoral umpire in an internal party dispute in recent years.
INEC said it was acting strictly in compliance with preservatory orders issued by the Court of Appeal in the ongoing legal battle between Senator David Mark’s faction and that of Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, who claims to be the rightful acting National Chairman of the ADC. Haruna stated that INEC would not take any action “capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court or rendering nugatory the proceedings before the trial court.” The commission has therefore: deleted the David Mark–led NWC from its portal; suspended recognition of all ADC factions; refused to monitor any ADC meeting, congress, or convention; frozen all correspondence with the party, and directed accelerated hearing of the substantive suit. INEC emphasized that it would maintain the status quo ante bellum; the state of affairs before September 2, 2025, when the leadership suit was filed.
A Party in Legal Freefall
The ADC crisis began after the resignation of the Ralph Okey Nwosu–led executive in July 2025. Senator David Mark’s group assumed leadership, but Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, then Vice National Chairman, insisted he never resigned and should automatically succeed Nwosu. Gombe filed Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 seeking an injunction restraining Mark and his allies from parading themselves as party leaders; an order compelling INEC to recognize him as acting National Chairman, and a freeze on all ADC conventions, congresses, and meetings. Mark appealed an interlocutory ruling, but the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal on March 12, 2026, and issued sweeping preservatory orders that now form the basis of INEC’s intervention.
The crisis escalated when Gombe’s lawyers accused INEC of inviting the Mark faction to a political parties’ meeting on March 24; and monitoring the NEC meeting of the Mark group on March 25. They demanded that INEC should invalidate the NEC meeting, remove Mark’s group from the portal, and recognize Gombe as acting chairman. INEC has now complied with part of that request; removing Mark’s NWC, but refused to recognize Gombe, citing the need for judicial clarity.
What This Means for the 2027 Elections
The ADC, though not Nigeria’s main opposition party, has been a strategic coalition platform for the 2027 elections, horning presidential candidates and exploring strategic alliances with other blocs. Its paralysis now raises serious questions about ballot access for ADC candidates in 2027; the party’s ability to conduct primaries within INEC’s timetable; the risk of court ordered exclusion from the ballot, and the broader stability of Nigeria’s multi party system. With INEC refusing to monitor any ADC activity, the party cannot legally: hold primaries, elect delegates, submit candidate lists, conduct conventions, and file valid correspondence. Unless the Federal High Court resolves the matter swiftly, the ADC risks missing critical deadlines in the 2027 election timetable.
The ADC crisis also highlights a growing trend: opposition parties are fracturing under the weight of internal disputes, defections, and legal battles, while the ruling APC continues to consolidate power.
Political analysts warn that a weakened opposition landscape could undermine electoral competitiveness; INEC’s increasing involvement in intra party disputes may shape political outcomes; legal uncertainty could disenfranchise voters who rely on smaller parties, and the perception of state enabled opposition fragmentation could erode trust in democratic institutions
INEC insists it remains impartial. But its role; expected and unexpected, now places it at the centre of a political storm with implications far beyond the ADC. The Federal High Court has been ordered to grant accelerated hearing in the leadership suit. Until judgment is delivered, the ADC remains effectively frozen; INEC will not recognize any faction; no ADC activity can be monitored or validated, and the party’s 2027 prospects hang in the balance. With the election cycle already underway, time is running out.
A Party on the Brink
The ADC’s leadership meltdown is now one of the most consequential political crises ahead of 2027. Whether the party survives or becomes the latest casualty of Nigeria’s increasingly volatile opposition landscape, depends on the courts, INEC’s neutrality, and the ability of its warring factions to avoid total implosion. For now, the ADC is a party without a leader, without a structure, and without a path forward, at the worst possible moment.
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