Breaking: Appeal Court Upholds High Court Ruling,  Bars INEC from Recognising Mark-led ADC Congresses

By Temitope Adebiyi, Correspondent

The Court of Appeal  has barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or participating in state congresses organised by committees set up by the Senator David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a split 2–1 judgment delivered today, in Abuja,  the appellate court upheld an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court, which restrained the Mark-led leadership from conducting state congresses and interfering with elected state executives of the party.

Justice Okon Abang, who delivered the lead judgment, said the court found no reason to overturn the lower court’s decision, stressing that only elected state executive committees have the authority to conduct party congresses.

The court also declared that congresses conducted under the Mark-led caretaker committee were null and void, having been carried out in violation of a subsisting court order.

Also, the presiding justice, Abba Mohammed, dissented, arguing that the matter was an internal party affair and should not have been entertained by the court.

The ruling is expected to affect outcomes of congresses conducted by the faction and could have implications for candidates who emerged from the process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Based on the judgment, the ADC has vowed that it would challenge the decision at the Supreme Court.