Prominent actor-turned-lawyer and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, has lauded the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to restore Senator David Mark as the party’s National Chairman.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday, April 30, 2026, is being hailed as a pivotal moment for the party’s stability as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.
The leadership tussle, which has gripped the ADC for months, centered on a challenge by Nafiu Bala Gombe against the legitimacy of the Mark-led executive.
The conflict reached a peak when a Court of Appeal order to maintain the status quo led the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-recognize Senator Mark, effectively leaving the party in an administrative vacuum.
In a statement shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Okonkwo confirmed that the apex court had set aside the appellate court’s order, providing much-needed legal clarity for the opposition party.
“The Supreme Court’s decision was unanimous,” Okonkwo wrote. “It held that the order to maintain status quo by the Court of Appeal is set aside. The case is referred back to the trial court for determination. This means that the David Mark-led executive is restored, pending the determination of the matter at the trial court.”
The five-member panel of Justices, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, held that the Court of Appeal erred by issuing a preservative order while the substantive case was still pending before the Federal High Court.
For Okonkwo, a member of the ADC’s National Working Committee, the judgment is a victory for internal party democracy over what he has previously described as a misuse of judicial authority.
He argued that the previous status quo order had been misinterpreted and weaponized to destabilize the party’s preparations for the next election cycle.
The crisis originally erupted in late 2025 following the resignation of the previous leadership, which paved the way for Senator David Mark a former Senate President to take the helm.
Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former deputy national chairman, contested the transition, alleging his signature had been forged on resignation documents and claiming he was the rightful leader.
With the Supreme Court’s intervention, the ADC now has a recognized leadership structure once again. The ruling directs all parties to return to the Federal High Court for an expedited hearing of the original suit filed by Gombe.
Okonkwo expressed optimism that this judicial reset would allow the ADC to move past its internal divisions. He has consistently maintained that the leadership dispute is an internal affair that should be resolved through the party’s own democratic processes……See More
Leave a Reply