Next Year: ADC to Challenge Court Decision Denying INEC Acknowledgement of Party Congresses, Says Mark

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By Luminous Jannamike

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The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has said the party will appeal a Federal High Court ruling barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising its state congresses, insisting it will still be on the ballot for all elections in 2027 despite ongoing legal battles.

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The ruling effectively halts recognition of congresses conducted by committees set up by the Mark-led National Working Committee, raising fresh uncertainty over the party’s internal processes and election readiness ahead of 2027.

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Mark, a former Senate President, spoke on Wednesday night in Abuja after being briefed by the party’s legal team on the judgment of the Federal High Court.

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He said, “You do not have anything to be afraid of regarding all the litigations before the party.

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“I want to assure you that we shall triumph in all the cases, and we shall be on the ballot for every election.”

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According to him, the party has already begun the appeal process and filed for a stay of execution.

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“We are more than prepared and ready for these cases, and we shall do everything within the ambit of the law to surmount every situation,” Mark added.

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His intervention comes as the party intensifies preparations for the 2027 polls amid the legal uncertainty.

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“In this legal battle, though I am not a lawyer, I will lead from the front, and we shall surely triumph,” he said.

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Earlier, the party’s legal team briefed Mark and other members of the leadership on the implications of the ruling and the strategy for the cases ahead.

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