The 2027 presidential race within the African Democratic Congress has suffered a major setback after the Independent National Electoral Commission moved to remove the names of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from its official portal.
The move has thrown the party deeper into uncertainty at a time when several heavyweight politicians are already eyeing the ADC platform ahead of the next general election.
Among the top names believed to be positioning for the party’s 2027 presidential ticket are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, and former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi.
But just as the party was beginning to look like a possible serious coalition ground, INEC’s latest decision has now cast a fresh cloud over its internal stability and legal standing.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the electoral commission made it clear that it would no longer recognise David Mark and Aregbesola as the national chairman and national secretary of the party respectively.
INEC also stated that it would not recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe either, despite his separate legal push to be acknowledged as acting national chairman of the party.
The commission said it was acting in line with the recent Court of Appeal ruling in Suit No. CA/ABJ/145/2026, which directed all parties involved in the dispute to maintain the status quo ante bellum — meaning things must remain as they were before the legal crisis escalated.
That single legal phrase has now become the biggest obstacle standing in the way of ADC’s internal restructuring and possible 2027 political calculations.
In its statement signed by Mallam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC said it remains committed to neutrality and will not take sides in the ongoing leadership battle.
The commission stressed that it would freeze all official dealings with every faction in the ADC until the substantive case before the Federal High Court in Abuja is finally determined.
That means, for now, INEC will not accept letters, recognise decisions, or monitor any congresses, conventions, or meetings organised by any group claiming authority within the party.
According to INEC, the dispute became more complicated after it received separate legal communications from both camps.
One letter, sent by the law firm of Suleiman Usman, SAN & Co, warned the commission against recognising Nafiu Bala Gombe as acting chairman. On the other hand, Summit Law Chambers, representing Gombe, demanded that INEC stop dealing with David Mark and Aregbesola altogether.
At the centre of the crisis is a leadership transition dispute that dates back to July 2025, when the Ralph Okey Nwosu-led executive reportedly resigned.
David Mark’s faction claims legitimacy from that development, but Nafiu Bala Gombe — who says he remained the only valid National Vice Chairman — insists that he should have automatically taken over the party leadership.
That disagreement eventually ended up in court, with Gombe filing Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 to challenge the recognition of the Mark-led structure.
INEC explained that because the names of David Mark and his team were uploaded to its portal on September 9, 2025 — seven days after the lawsuit was filed — the commission has now chosen to remove them in order to fully comply with the court’s directive to maintain the earlier status.
In simple terms, INEC is saying: until the court settles who truly controls ADC, nobody will be officially recognised.
That decision is a serious blow to the party at a very delicate moment. For a platform many were beginning to watch as a possible home for opposition realignment ahead of 2027, this internal legal war could weaken its credibility if not resolved quickly.
And politically, this is bigger than just names on a website. If ADC cannot settle its leadership crisis early enough, it may struggle to present itself as a stable and serious alternative before the next election cycle fully kicks off.
For now, the party has been placed in a kind of political suspension, with INEC stepping back and the court now holding the key to what happens next.