Jibrin Okutepa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria who served as lead counsel for Senator David Mark in the legal proceedings involving the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, praised the Independent National Electoral Commission for following the Supreme Court’s decision without prompting.
In a statement released on his X account via @sanjsokutepa on Friday, Okutepa praised INEC for proactively reinstating the ADC’s leadership status on its platform, rather than waiting for the Supreme Court’s decision.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court directed David Mark to return to the Federal High Court for the hearing and resolution of issues resulting from the ADC’s leadership crisis. This direction followed the Court of Appeal’s previous decision on March 12, which dismissed Mark’s appeal against a September 4 Federal High Court ruling.
Nafiu Bala, a former vice chairman of the ADC, filed the complaint, FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, to prohibit the Mark-led leadership from identifying themselves as national officers of the ADC. Bala cited the ADC, Mark, Rauf Aregbesola (National Secretary), INEC, and Ralph Nwosu, the party’s founder and former national chairman, as defendants in the lawsuit.
In a unanimous decision issued on Thursday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Mohammed Garba, condemned the Court of Appeal’s order, which directed the parties involved in the matter to maintain the status quo. The Supreme Court ruled that the Court of Appeal exceeded its authority by unilaterally issuing the status quo ruling.
In his message congratulating INEC, Okutepa added, “I am a legal practitioner. I am not a registered member of a political party in Nigeria. I am not an employee of any government. I have no allegiance but to the truth, justice, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I was the primary attorney for Sen. David Mark at the Supreme Court in the decision issued yesterday (Thursday).
“Upon reviewing the INEC portal, it became evident that INEC has proactively reinstated the leadership of the ADC on its platform without any external prompting.”
He stated that the reinstatement of the ADC leadership names on the INEC portal was noteworthy.
He stated, “The Supreme Court’s decision yesterday was unambiguous. Sen. David Mark’s appeal was partially granted. The Court of Appeal’s directive for’maintenance of status quo ante bellum’ was found to have been issued without authority and consequently void.
“INEC cited the Court of Appeal’s directive as the rationale for deleting Sen. David Mark and his executive committee from its portal.
“As a corporate organization, INEC has showed regard to the Supreme Court’s decision, without pretending ignorance of the judgement until formal service. “This is the appropriate course of action given the circumstances,” he stated.
He emphasised that INEC had legal representation at the Supreme Court and that the fast reinstatement of the ADC leadership on the INEC portal was admirable.
“This is how actions should be taken under the rule of law.” He noted that INEC has proved its commitment to the rule of law in a country where certain institutions may wait for the court’s decision before taking action.
He described such behaviour as an abuse of authority, in which people purposely delay complying with court orders until prodded.
He went on to say, “Until we collectively commit to upholding the rule of law and due process, and refrain from taking the law into our own hands, Nigeria’s progress will remain an illusion.”
He stated, “In this case, INEC shown a unique grasp of the significance of obeying the rule of law without waiting for the Supreme Court’s decision to be served, as certain institutions and high-ranking Nigerian politicians frequently do.
“Many people in positions of authority demonstrate a disregard for the courts and their orders. In many cases, impunity persists in our society. Even in the legal arena, court procedures and directives are frequently disregarded for personal advantage and to demonstrate abuse of power.”