The Court of Appeal has issued a restraining order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing or accepting any congresses, primaries, or official conventions conducted by the interim caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The caretaker committee, which is currently headed by the former Senate President, David Mark, has been at the center of internal administrative disputes within the political party. The appellate court’s decisive intervention acts to temporarily halt the recognition of these internal elections pending a definitive judicial determination on the legality of the caretaker committee’s mandate.

This legal dispute developed following objections raised by aggrieved members of the political platform regarding the leadership structure and the authority of the interim management team to steer the party’s electoral processes.

By restricting the electoral umpire from validating the activities overseen by the David Mark-led panel, the judiciary has effectively frozen the outcomes of any congresses executed under their supervision. The decision underscores ongoing concerns regarding adherence to internal party constitutions, compliance with regulatory guidelines, and the precise legal authority governing party leadership switches.

With this judicial constraint in effect, the targeted political organization faces structural uncertainty regarding its administrative leadership and institutional candidates as it prepares for future elections. The electoral commission must strictly comply with the temporary injunction by withholding formal validation of the disputed congresses until the substantive legal suits are fully argued and concluded before the courts.

This ruling highlights the escalating legal battles among political factions over party executive control and selection procedures across the country’s landscape.