The battle for the African Democratic Congress has now landed on the desk of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Nafiu Bala’s camp has formally asked INEC to strike former Senate President David Mark and ex-Minister Rauf Aregbesola off the books as ADC Chairman and Secretary, respectively.
Bala, once the party’s Deputy National Chairman, insists he should have stepped up after Ralph Nwosu quit the top seat.
His letter to INEC came days after the Court of Appeal threw out Mark’s attempt to overturn Justice Emeka Nwite’s September 4, 2025 ruling.
That ruling—an interlocutory order—told Mark and Aregbesola to explain why they shouldn’t be derecognised while the main suit crawls through the Federal High Court.
Mark filed a notice of appeal on September 18, 2025, arguing lack of jurisdiction, among other points.
The appellate panel, led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, dismissed the plea on Tuesday, saying Mark skipped the mandatory leave step for challenging an interlocutory directive.
The court told both sides to leave things exactly as they were until the substantive case is decided.
With that victory in hand, Bala’s lawyer, Robert Emukpoeruo (SAN), fired off a March 16 letter to INEC, quoting the court’s own words: parties must “maintain the status quo ante bellum and shall refrain from taking any step… capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court.”
Emukpoeruo says the instruction is plain—stop dealing with Mark and Aregbesola—so INEC should update its records accordingly.
Officials at the commission confirmed receipt of the letter but gave no timeline for action.
