Court to Hear Nafiu Bala’s Suit Against David Mark-Led ADC Friday
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed Friday, May 8, for hearing in the leadership dispute rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC), following a suit filed by Nafiu Bala against the faction led by former Senate President, David Mark.
The case is before Justice Emeka Nwite, who scheduled the hearing after Bala’s legal team formally requested an accelerated hearing following the recent ruling of the Supreme Court.
In a letter dated May 5 and addressed to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Bala’s lawyers, led by senior advocates Robert Emukpoeruo, Lukman Fagbemi, and Lukas Musa Haruna, urged the court to fix a date for the matter in line with the earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal.
The lawyers noted that the Supreme Court, on April 30, 2026, dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by the Mark-led faction and directed that the substantive matter return to the Federal High Court for hearing.
The leadership crisis began after Nafiu Bala, a former deputy national chairman of the ADC, filed a suit on September 2, 2025, challenging the legitimacy of the David Mark-led leadership of the party.
Bala accused the faction of unlawfully taking over the party structure and violating the ADC constitution. He also maintained that he never resigned from his position as deputy national chairman.
Following the filing of the suit, Justice Nwite ordered all parties involved, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to appear before the court and explain why Bala’s requests should not be granted.
Dissatisfied with the proceedings, the Mark-led camp approached the Court of Appeal, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. However, on March 12, 2026, the appellate court dismissed the appeal, describing it as incompetent and lacking merit.
The appellate court also directed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The Mark faction later approached the Supreme Court after INEC reportedly withdrew recognition of its leadership following the Appeal Court judgment.
However, the apex court set aside the status quo order, describing it as unnecessary, while directing parties to return to the Federal High Court for proper hearing and determination of the leadership dispute.
