Aregbesola Writes INEC, Seeks Halt to Changes in Party Leadership Pending Appeal

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the National Secretary of African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Sen. David Mark leadership on Monday wrote a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Aregbesola, in the letter written by his lawyer, Mohammed Sheriff, SAN, urged the commission not to remove the party’s leaders as presently constituted in its official records pending the hearing and determination of his appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The letter, dated Nov. 9 and addressed to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, was also received on Nov. 9 and a copy of the acknowledged copy made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

Aregbesola infomed the electoral umpire that besides his appeal, he had also filed a motion on notice for stay of execution of the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, which nullified his assumption of office as ADC national secretary under the leadership of former Senate President Mark.
He said the notice of appeal and the motion for stay of executive were both filed on Nov. 7.
“We ask that the comrnission defer any discretionary changes that could prejudice the relief sought in the pending application,” he said.

The letter is titled: “ADC Leadership — Formal Notice of thr Federal High Court Judgment of 2nd July, 2026, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s Appeal and Pending Motion for Stay of Execution in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe V. African Democratic Congress & Ors.”
It reads in part, “We act for Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

“We write to place before the commission the certified true copy of the Federal High Court judgment of 2nd July, 2026, which expressly declared Mr. David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the duly appointed National Chairman and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), respectively.

“The commission was a party to that suit and to the subsequent proceedings in which an injunction concerning our client’s recognition was granted against it.”

The lawyer said the earlier judgment was delivered by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court in Abuja in suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, between Rep Leke Abejide vs. ADC & others.
“Our client was the 4th defendant and the commission was the 5th defendant.
“In Orders 3, 4 and 5, the court declared that Mr Ralph Nwosu acted lawfully and within his authority in handing over the leadership of the ADC to Mr David Mark and our client, that they were duly appointed to their respective offices, and that INEC was entitled to recognise them in those capacities.”
According to Sheriff, to the best of our knowledge, no appeal has been filed against that judgment.
The senior lawyer, however, informed INEC that his client had appealed against the subsequent judgment delivered on Nov. 5 by Justice Lifu in suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, between Gombe vs. ADC & others.

He also said that a motion on notice for stay of execution had been filed.
“The motion seeks a stay of enforcement of the two perpetual injunctions insofar as they affect him, including the injunction restraining the commission from recognising or dealing with him (Aregbesola) in the capacities specified in the judgment,” he said.

Sheriff said the commission now had before it two judgments of the same judicial division that expressly address its dealings with his client in relation to the ADC leadership.
“We respectfully request that the commission place the certified true copy of the 2 July judgment on its official records and refer both judgments, together with the enclosed processes, to its Legal Services Department for urgent consideration.

“Pending determination of the stay application, we also request that the commission preserve all records relating to its recognition of our client and the ADC leadership, including relevant correspondence, published entries and records of any changes.

“To the extent consistent with the judgment of 5th November, 2026 and any other subsisting court order, we ask that the comrnission defer any discretionary changes that could prejudice the relief soug)it in the pending application.

“Kindly acknowledge receipt in writing and confirm that the earlier judgment and the enclosed processes have been placed before the officers responsible for the commission’s records on political party leadership,” the lawyer concluded.(NAN)