Supreme Court Judgment Resolves ADC Leadership Crisis – Okpanachi

A lawyer representing the faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark, Rilwan Okpanachi, has said the Supreme Court judgment on the party’s leadership dispute has effectively resolved the crisis surrounding the recognition of its leadership.

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Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television in Abuja, Okpanachi argued that the apex court’s decision has set aside earlier orders that formed the basis for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise a rival leadership structure within the party.

According to him, the Supreme Court nullified the directive that maintained the status quo ante bellum, which had previously influenced INEC’s recognition of a different faction.

“The judgment of the Supreme Court has made it very clear that the order made on March 12, 2026, maintaining status quo ante bellum, upon which INEC acted to recognise a rival leadership, has been set aside,” he said.

He explained that the implication of the ruling is that INEC no longer has a legal basis to continue recognising the affected faction and must restore the earlier leadership position within the party structure.

“It means there is no basis, as it stands, for INEC to continue to recognise that leadership or delist them from its platform. They must restore them and continue dealing with them as the legitimate leadership of the ADC,” Okpanachi added.

He maintained that the ruling effectively returns the party to its position before INEC acted on earlier court orders, describing it as a restoration of the status quo prior to the intervention.

Okpanachi further insisted that the Supreme Court judgment has reinforced the position of the David Mark-led faction as the authentic leadership of the ADC, arguing that INEC’s earlier recognition of a rival group has now been invalidated.

“The bloc is now fully in charge as regards the leadership of the party,” he said, adding that issues previously decided by lower courts have now been conclusively addressed by the apex court.

He, however, clarified that other related disputes within the party, including matters pending at the Federal High Court, were not part of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Responding to questions on whether the judgment settles all internal disputes within the ADC, he said the apex court focused strictly on the legality of INEC’s actions and earlier appellate decisions, not on fresh claims of leadership legitimacy.

He also criticised interpretations suggesting ambiguity in the ruling, insisting that such views stem from a misreading of the judgment.

Okpanachi further noted that the Supreme Court upheld earlier decisions of lower courts while dismissing appeals challenging those rulings, adding that the issue of party leadership recognition has now been clarified within the limits of the case decided.