African Democratic Congress leadership under former Senate President David Mark has filed an appeal against the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 5, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1619/2025, involving Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe and the ADC.
Mark’s embattled faction, in a statement on Friday, disclosed that it had also filed an application for a stay of execution pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.
INEC was formally notified of these steps on November 6 and urged to refrain from taking further action on the subject matter while the appeal is pending.
The statement partly read, “The application for a stay of execution has not yet been determined. INEC must, therefore, exercise restraint. It must not act as though the appeal and stay application do not exist or take any step that could pre-empt the Court of Appeal and undermine the proper resolution of the matter. The commission must respect the judicial process and allow the appellate court to hear the case.
“The ADC is exercising its lawful right to appeal. The judgement is now being challenged before a higher court, and the legal process must be allowed to run its course. We expect INEC to uphold the law and take full account of the pending proceedings before making any consequential decisions.
“To our members, supporters and Nigerians who believe in democracy: remain calm, steadfast and confident. This is not the end of the road. The ADC is taking every lawful step to defend its rights, and we will not be intimidated or distracted from that responsibility. Our commitment to Nigerians and their right to choose remains firm.
“Our campaigns continue without interruption. There is no stopping the affordability train or our mission to make life better for Nigerians. We will continue taking our message to the people as we pursue every lawful avenue to defend our rights.
“We are confident that the facts and the law will receive a full hearing. The ADC will continue to pursue this matter through the courts and stand for a democratic process in which every party and every voter is treated fairly.”
On Thursday, the Federal High Court sacked the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC, effectively putting the candidacy of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in jeopardy ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Opposition parties have jointly rejected the court judgement, describing it as an attack on democracy.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and 16 other presidential candidates are seeking to contest the 2027 presidential election.
