The African Democratic Congress (ADC) State Chairmen’s Forum has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to comply with subsisting court judgments concerning the party’s leadership dispute, warning that failure to do so could create legal uncertainties for the party and its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

Chairman of the forum, Ogga Temitope, made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.

Temitope said democracy could not thrive when court judgments were selectively obeyed, arguing that all parties and institutions were required to respect judicial decisions.

The dispute centres on an April 29, 2026 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. The court restrained INEC from recognising or participating in state congresses organised by committees appointed by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the ADC. It also restrained the Mark-led group from interfering with the tenure and functions of the party’s elected state executives.

The court held that the tenure of the ADC’s elected state executive committees remained valid and that the responsibility for conducting state congresses rested with the elected state executives rather than the national caretaker leadership.

The matter was subsequently taken to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which, in a two-to-one decision delivered on July 13, upheld the Federal High Court’s order. The appellate court affirmed that INEC should not recognise or participate in state congresses organised by committees appointed by the Mark-led caretaker leadership.

Temitope said the decisions had implications for the party’s candidates and warned that nominations originating from a leadership structure subsequently invalidated by the courts could face legal challenges.

He described the potential situation as a “nullity trap”, arguing that victory at the polls might not ultimately protect a candidate if the nomination process was successfully challenged before an election tribunal.

The ADC chairman also cautioned party stakeholders against relying solely on stays of execution, stressing that such orders suspend enforcement pending further proceedings but do not, by themselves, erase the underlying judgment.

He urged the David Mark-led faction to engage with what he described as the court-recognised leadership, pursue reconciliation and regularise the party’s internal processes before the commencement of critical activities leading to the 2027 elections.

However, the ADC’s national leadership has previously maintained that the July 13 Court of Appeal judgment does not affect the party’s candidates, saying the ruling concerned ward, local government and state congresses and had no effect on the direct primaries through which its candidates emerged.

The legal dispute has therefore continued to raise questions about the authority of the competing factions to conduct party affairs and the extent to which INEC can recognise actions taken by either side.

The 2027 elections are scheduled to take place in January and February 2027, with the presidential and National Assembly elections fixed for January 16 and the governorship and State House of Assembly elections for February 6.

Temitope called on INEC and all factions within the ADC to respect the rule of law and resolve the leadership dispute to ensure that the party enters the 2027 electoral cycle with a legally recognised and properly constituted structure.