The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove its top officials from the commission’s official records.

The action follows INEC’s deletion, on April 1, of the names of Senator David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its online portal.

In a motion filed on April 7, Mark, through his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), urged the court to compel INEC to restore the names of members of the party’s National Working Committee as they existed prior to the dispute. He is also seeking an order of mandatory injunction to set aside what he described as the commission’s wrongful removal of the party’s leadership from its records.

The ADC further requested the court to direct INEC to recognise and retain the names of Mark, Aregbesola, and other members of the National Executive Committee. It also asked for an order restraining the electoral body from interfering with its leadership structure or recognising any rival faction pending the determination of the suit.

The legal challenge is linked to an earlier ruling by the Court of Appeal on March 12 in a related case involving a former deputy national chairman of the party, Nafiu Gombe. According to the applicant, the appellate court had directed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the resolution of the leadership dispute.

Usman argued that as of September 2, 2025, when the suit was initiated, Mark remained the duly recognised National Chairman. He accused INEC of misinterpreting the appellate court’s decision, noting that the removal of the names had created confusion within the party.

He maintained that the law permits the court to grant a mandatory injunction to restore a party to its original position where it has been wrongfully altered.

The plaintiff also called for an expedited hearing, warning that the lingering leadership crisis could disrupt party operations and result in the emergence of parallel structures.

Court documents indicate that the dispute originated in September 2025 when Gombe instituted legal action challenging the party’s leadership. The trial court subsequently directed all parties to respond, while the Court of Appeal ordered that the existing situation be maintained pending final determination.