INEC spoils David Mark’s homecoming party, axes ex-Senate President as ADC National Chairman

What was supposed to be a grand political homecoming for former Senate President David Mark in his native Otukpo today has been thrown into confusion.

Just hours before the event’s scheduled 10:00 AM start, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) moved to officially de-recognize Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The timing of the announcement, released late Wednesday, April 1st, has effectively turned today’s celebration into a legal and political standoff.

The homecoming party, organized by Hon. David Olofu, PhD, was designed to be a high-profile “Flag-off of ADC Membership Registration” at St. Mary Primary School. However, the atmosphere in Benue South turned “sour” after INEC confirmed it has: Scrubbed David Mark’s name and that of Rauf Aregbesola (National Secretary) from its official portal and suspended all official dealings with the party’s contending factions.

Mallam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC’s National Commissioner for Information, stated the move was necessary to maintain “absolute neutrality” following conflicting legal demands and a recent Court of Appeal ruling (Suit No. CA/ABJ/145/2026).

In a blistering response issued this morning, ADC Spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi slammed the commission’s decision as a product of external political pressure.

“We knew that INEC was being pressured by a government that has become jittery from the ADC’s rising momentum,” Abdullahi said. “INEC’s press statement is full of contradictions that fly in the face of both facts and reason.”

The party leadership maintains that INEC is misinterpreting the Court of Appeal’s stance and has vowed to review all legal options to reinstate their leaders.

Despite the legal firestorm, supporters of Hon. David Olofu and David Mark had already begun gathering in Otukpo for today’s event. While the posters still herald Mark as “The National Chairman,” the reality on the ground is now one of uncertainty.

The commission has warned that it will recognize neither the Mark-led group nor the faction led by Nafiu Bala Gombe until the Federal High Court delivers a final determination.