INEC Bows to Supreme Court, Restores David Mark as ADC Boss; Opposition Party Cleared for 2027 Race as ‘Illegal’ Freeze Ends

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially ended the leadership vacuum within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by restoring Senator David Mark as the party’s recognized National Chairman. The update to the commission’s portal on Friday and Saturday comes as a direct response to the Supreme Court judgment that dismantled the legal “booby traps” set by a rival faction.

For the past month, the ADC had been in a state of administrative limbo after INEC removed the names of David Mark and National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola from its website. The commission had claimed it was merely following a Court of Appeal directive to maintain the “status quo” while the leadership crisis was being litigated. However, the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling on April 30 described that directive as a judicial overreach, effectively forcing the electoral umpire to hit the “undo” button.

With the names back on the official registry, the “David Mark-led” faction has regained total control of the party’s machinery. Party loyalists, who had staged “Occupy INEC” protests just weeks ago, described the restoration as a victory for the rule of law. “The era of using the courts to paralyze opposition parties is over,” a spokesperson for the Mark-led NWC stated. “We are now focused on the technical work of preparing our candidates for the 2027 transition.”

The restoration of the Mark-Aregbesola leadership is seen as a significant boost for the burgeoning opposition alliance. As the 2027 primary season approaches, the ADC now legally solidified is expected to play a central role in the “mega-coalition” discussions aimed at challenging the ruling party.

While the substantive case regarding the party’s internal congresses still lingers at the Federal High Court, the Supreme Court’s intervention has ensured that the party will not be “headless” during the most critical phase of the electoral cycle. For now, the files are updated, the portal is clear, and Senator David Mark is officially back in the driver’s seat.