National Executive Committee Chairmen Forum of the African Democratic Congress, on Friday, threatened to embark on a nationwide protest against the Independent National Electoral Commission if it fails to comply with Thursday’s court judgment on the party’s leadership crisis.
The forum also called on INEC to immediately replace the names of Senator David Mark and members of his dissolved Interim National Working Committee on its portal with those of Nafiu Bala Gombe and other party officials it described as legally recognised.
The chairmen further urged INEC to reopen its portal to enable the ADC to conduct fresh primaries, where necessary, and upload its candidates for the 2027 general elections.
Secretary of the forum, Kennedy Odion, made the demands while addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, following the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which sacked the Mark-led interim leadership of the party.
According to Odion, the judgment nullified decisions taken by the dissolved NWC, including the nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate and the emergence of other candidates through its congresses and national convention.
He described the ruling as a vindication of the forum’s position that the Mark-led leadership was not constitutionally recognised.
Odion said, “We, the only legally recognised NEC members, accept in its entirety the judgment declaring our own Alhaji Nafiu Bala Gombe the authentic national chairman of the ADC.
“Failure to comply with this latest judgment will leave us no option but to proceed with our planned nationwide protest against the electoral umpire. Nigeria is for all of us. No individual, however highly placed, is above the law.”
He added that the judgment confirmed the forum’s position that Atiku, his running mate, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and other candidates nominated by the interim leadership were not the party’s authentic candidates.
The ADC has been embroiled in a protracted leadership dispute involving the Mark-led interim NWC and a faction led by Bala Gombe, with several court cases arising from disagreements over the party’s leadership and the conduct of its congresses and national convention.
The dispute had earlier produced a judgment by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on April 29, 2026, in favour of the ADC state chairmen led by Don-Norman Obinna.
The court affirmed the subsistence of the tenure of the elected state executive committees pending the valid conduct of congresses and the convocation of a national convention. It also restrained INEC from recognising congresses organised by the interim NWC.
The judgment was upheld by the Court of Appeal on June 13, 2026. However, Odion alleged that INEC continued to recognise the Mark-led leadership and accepted candidates produced through its congresses and convention.
He said the forum had consequently initiated steps to challenge the commission’s actions, while the dispute remained pending before the Supreme Court.
Odion said the forum’s decision to pursue the legal process rather than resort to confrontation had helped prevent violence among aggrieved party members and candidates.
“The maturity shown by the NEC Chairmen Forum as law-abiding members of society prevented a melee and saved the lives of agitated and disenchanted party members and candidates,” he said.
He, however, commended the judiciary for what he described as its courage in upholding justice, despite what he called propaganda against the courts by the dissolved interim leadership.
While awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision on the earlier litigation, Odion pledged the forum’s support for Bala Gombe, expressing confidence that the new leadership would restore stability to the party.
He congratulated Bala Gombe and ADC members, declaring that “sanity” had returned to the party.
