By Abiola Olawale
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has delivered a ruling in the protracted leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a judgment aimed at resolving the legal stalemate, the apex court has set aside the “status quo ante bellum” order previously issued by the Court of Appeal and directed the parties back to the Federal High Court for an accelerated hearing on the substantive suit.
​The ruling is a significant development for the faction led by former President of the Senate, David Mark, which has been battling for legitimacy against a rival group led by Nafiu Bala.
​The legal battle intensified following a March 12 ruling by the Court of Appeal. That court had ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum, a move that led the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw its recognition of David Mark as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary.
​Mark’s legal team, led by Jubril Okutepa, SAN, argued that the appellate court exceeded its jurisdiction by interfering in the internal affairs of a political party.
Meanwhile, in the judgment delivered on April 30, 2026, the five-member panel of the Supreme Court held that the Court of Appeal’s intervention via the status quo order was premature and hindered the speedy administration of justice.
​By voiding the order, the Supreme Court has effectively cleared the legal fog that allowed INEC to de-recognize the Mark-led executive.
However, rather than declaring a final winner in the leadership tussle, the apex court ordered the Federal High Court in Abuja to conduct an accelerated hearing to determine the rightful leadership once and for all.
