A Federal High Court in Abuja has slammed the brakes on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), barring it from recognizing or engaging in any state congresses run by committees handpicked by the African Democratic Congress (ADC)’s caretaker leadership.
In a ruling delivered Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik declared that state congresses fall squarely under the purview of the party’s state executive committees, not the national leadership. This comes as reported by The Nation.
The judge affirmed that the four-year terms of the ADC’s State Working Committees and State Executive Committees remain fully valid until proper congresses are held and a national convention convenes.
Justice Abdulmalik emphasized that neither Nigeria’s Constitution nor the ADC’s own rules grant the interim National Working Committee, headed by David Mark, the authority to appoint committees for state congresses.
The judgment stems from suit FHC/ABJ/CS/581/2026, filed by Don Norman Obinna, Johnny Tovie Derek, Obah C. Ehigiator, Hon. Olona Yinka, Dr. Charles Idowu Omideji, Samuel Pam Gyang, and Obianyo Patrick—representing themselves and all ADC State Chairmen and State Executive Committees.
Defendants include the African Democratic Congress (ADC); Sen. David Mark; Sen. Patricia Akwashiki; Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor (for the Caretaker/Interim National Working Committee); and INEC.
The plaintiffs accused the Mark-led caretaker leadership of illegally forming a congress committee to run state congresses.
They contested all such appointments as invalid and warned that the planned April 2026 state congresses, if overseen by this committee, would blatantly breach the party’s constitution.
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