By Ayo Ayodele
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) faction led by former Senate President David Mark has formally written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), urging the Supreme Court to deliver a timely judgment on the ongoing leadership dispute within the party.
The request follows the Supreme Court’s decision to reserve judgment in an appeal filed by Mark concerning the internal crisis rocking the party.
In the appeal marked SC/CV/180/2026, Mark is challenging earlier court decisions which, according to him, wrongly interfered in the internal affairs of a political party.
The case stems from a dispute involving rival factions within the ADC, including a suit filed by Nafiu Bala, who is contesting the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership structure.
In a letter dated April 28, 2026, and signed by the party’s counsel, Shaibu Enejoh Aruwa, the faction warned that further delay in delivering judgment could jeopardize ADC’s participation in the 2027 general elections.
The letter argued that the party risks exclusion from the electoral process if the matter is not resolved quickly, especially as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already commenced preparations for the elections.
It further stated that the unresolved leadership crisis has already led to uncertainty within the party, following INEC’s reported action based on earlier court rulings affecting the party’s leadership structure.
The ADC warned that millions of its members could be disenfranchised if the Supreme Court fails to deliver judgment promptly, stressing that the situation threatens the party’s constitutional right to field candidates in the 2027 elections.
The letter also appealed to the apex court to consider the urgency of the matter, noting that election timelines are already underway and political activities are intensifying nationwide.