Court Blocks INEC from Recognizing ADC Congresses Led by Mark

On Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Joyc Abdulmalik, issued a ruling that restrains the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing any congresses conducted by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The court determined that the interim national working committee, appointed by David Mark, did not have the authority under either the Nigerian Constitution or the party's constitution to conduct state congresses.

The judgment, which arose from a suit filed by Don Norman and others on behalf of state chairmen of the ADC, emphasized that the tenure of the ADC's state working committees remains valid and subsists pending the proper constitution of congresses. The court ruled that the ADC must convene a national convention to address these issues, ensuring that the state executive committees are duly recognized.