The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is scheduled to inaugurate its presidential campaign council on Friday, October 9, 2026, as opposition politicians intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections. However, the event comes amid an ongoing leadership dispute, with court orders restricting the David Mark-led faction’s control over state party structures and limiting what the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can recognise.
The ceremony is scheduled for 4pm at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. Senator David Mark, who serves as the faction’s national chairman, is expected to lead the inauguration, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan.
Key Highlights
- ADC is scheduled to inaugurate its presidential campaign council in Abuja on October 9, 2026, led by the David Mark-led faction.
- Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is the party’s presidential candidate, with Rotimi Amaechi named as his running mate.
- Kashim Ibrahim-Imam was named campaign council chairman, while Nasir El-Rufai was appointed deputy chairman.
- A Federal High Court ruling restricted the Mark-led faction’s control over state party structures.
- The Court of Appeal upheld the ruling in a 2–1 decision in July 2026.
- The party and Atiku have said the dispute will proceed to the Supreme Court.
ADC Sets Up Presidential Campaign Council for 2027
According to Ologbondiyan, ADC leaders, governorship candidates, National Assembly candidates and State House of Assembly candidates have been invited to the inauguration.
The party has described the ceremony as the formal activation of its presidential campaign structure ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is the ADC’s presidential candidate, while former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi has been named as the vice-presidential candidate.
Atiku had earlier approved a presidential campaign council headed by Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, with former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai as deputy chairman. Abia State senator Austin Akobundu was named director-general and campaign manager.
The membership list released in late September also named former Osun State governor John Oyegun as chairman of the campaign advisory board, alongside political figures including Aminu Tambuwal, Emeka Ihedioha and Dele Momodu in advisory and spokesperson roles.
The Thursday notice announcing the inauguration did not republish the full membership list.
Federal High Court Ruling Restricts Mark-led ADC Faction
The campaign council inauguration comes amid a prolonged dispute over the ADC’s leadership and the validity of party structures established under the Mark-led caretaker arrangement.
On April 29, 2026, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a ruling in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/581/2026 restricting the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising or participating in state congresses organised by committees appointed by the Mark-led caretaker or interim national working committee.
The court also restrained Mark and other defendants, including Patricia Akwashiki, Bolaji Abdullahi, Rauf Aregbesola and Oserheimen Osunbor, from interfering with the tenure and functions of the party’s elected state executive committees.
The plaintiffs, led by Don Norman Obinna and representing state chairmen and executives, argued that the party’s elected organs were entitled to conduct state congresses under the ADC constitution.
In its ruling, the court set aside the caretaker faction’s congress committee and held that the four-year tenure of the state working committees and state executive committees remained valid pending properly constituted congresses and a national convention.
The ruling has created a legal complication for the faction as it attempts to organise its campaign machinery ahead of the next general elections.
Court of Appeal Upholds Judgment Against ADC Caretaker Arrangement
The legal dispute continued after an earlier Federal High Court order of April 14, 2026, was cited in challenges to congresses and a national convention organised by the Mark-led faction.
On July 13, 2026, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld Justice Abdulmalik’s judgment in a 2–1 decision, dismissing appeal CA/ABJ/CV/608/2026.
Justices Okon Abang and Donatus Okorowo formed the majority, while Justice Abba Mohammed dissented.
The majority held that the dispute was not merely an internal party matter and awarded costs against the ADC.
In late September, the party and Atiku said they would challenge the decision at the Supreme Court.
Until the appeal is resolved or the existing orders are otherwise varied, INEC remains bound by the subsisting restrictions concerning recognition of state congresses conducted under the caretaker arrangement.
Read also:
- 2027: Atiku Names El-Rufai Deputy Chairman Of ADC Campaign Council
- David Mark: ADC Will Follow 2027 Election Rules But Reject Any Rigging in 2027
- ADC in fresh crisis as Obinna-led faction rejects David Mark coalition, declares “Legitimate NEC”
What the Court Dispute Means for ADC’s 2027 Campaign
The inauguration is intended to give the ADC a central structure for coordinating its presidential campaign and preparations for the 2027 elections.
However, the campaign council’s inauguration does not automatically resolve questions concerning the validity of state congresses or the recognition of party structures by INEC.
The legal dispute could also affect candidates whose emergence depends on processes conducted under the contested leadership arrangement, depending on the scope and outcome of the court proceedings.
The distinction is important because organising a presidential campaign council is separate from establishing the legal validity of state party executives and congresses.
The ADC’s preparations therefore continue alongside an unresolved judicial dispute over which party structures are valid and entitled to recognition.
ADC Faces Political and Legal Challenges Ahead of 2027
The scheduled event at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre represents the Mark-led faction’s effort to demonstrate progress in preparing for the 2027 general elections.
With Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi named on the presidential ticket, the campaign council is expected to coordinate political outreach and preparations across the country.
However, the faction’s ability to consolidate its state structures remains subject to the ongoing legal proceedings.
The next major development will be the Supreme Court’s consideration of the appeal, if and when it is heard. Its eventual decision could determine the status of the contested congresses and the extent to which the Mark-led faction’s structures can be recognised by INEC.
For now, the campaign council inauguration and the leadership dispute remain parallel developments shaping the ADC’s preparations for 2027.
For more political news and updates, follow us on X.
