By Amah
Kindly share:
Former Senate President, David Mark, has bounced back as the authentic leader of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, the ruling of the Supreme Court on Thursday.
This effectively brought an end to months of internal legal uncertainty that had stalled the party’s administrative and political activities.
In its final decision, the apex court set aside the controversial “status quo ante bellum” order that had previously frozen the party’s operations and prevented any faction from exercising full authority. The order had created a paralysing legal standoff, particularly affecting congresses, internal restructuring, and preparations for electoral engagement.
The dispute stemmed from a prolonged leadership crisis within the ADC, where rival factions laid competing claims to the party’s national structure. The situation escalated after the Court of Appeal in Abuja issued the restraining order that effectively barred recognition of any actions taken by the David Mark-led leadership, including engagement with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
However, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, ruled that the Court of Appeal acted beyond its jurisdiction by issuing consequential orders after it had already dismissed the substantive matter before it. The apex court held that such orders had no legal foundation and could not stand.
By nullifying the “status quo” directive, the Supreme Court restored full legal authority to the current leadership structure of the ADC, validating all actions taken under its watch, including party congresses and internal administrative decisions.
The ruling also clears the legal obstacles that had prevented INEC from recognising the outcomes of the Mark-led faction’s activities, effectively resolving a major source of institutional deadlock within the party.
The judgment is widely regarded as a watershed moment in the ADC’s internal politics, ending months of uncertainty that weakened its organisational coherence and public positioning. It now places the party at a critical juncture as it seeks to rebuild unity and reposition itself ahead of future electoral contests under a clarified leadership structure.
