David Mark

By Muhammad Abubakar

The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Thursday set aside an order of the Court of Appeal to maintain the status quo ante bellum in the leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, held that the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal acted without jurisdiction when it issued the order after already dismissing the case filed by a rival faction.

The decision effectively restores the recognition of the party’s executive committee led by former Senate President David Mark.

Prior to the ruling, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had removed David Mark and his executive team from its portal in compliance with the lower court’s status quo order.

The Supreme Court directed all warring factions to return to the Federal High Court to continue and fully determine the substantive suit regarding the party’s leadership.

The ADC has been embroiled in a leadership crisis following a restructuring that brought David Mark in as National Chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, a move fiercely contested by a rival faction led by Nafiu Bala Gombe.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Senator David Mark, former President of the Nigerian Senate, has lost his first son to cancer. 

Special Adviser to David Mark, Paul Mumeh, announced the demise of David Mark’s son on Friday in a statement

According to Mr Mumeh, Tunde Jonathan Mark died in a London hospital on Friday while surrounded by loved ones and family members. 

The statement reads : 

“Tunde Jonathan Mark, son of former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, has died in a London hospital on Friday morning.

Tunde, who died after a long battle with cancer, was the first son of the former President of the Senate.

Born on the 13th of October, 1971, Tunde attended Yaba Military School, located in Yaba, Lagos, where he obtained his first school leaving certificate.

He later proceeded to Bradfield College, Berkshire, UK, where he attended Secondary school.

Tunde is a Biochemist who obtained a B.Sc degree from Kings College, London. He studied immunology alongside biochemistry and later Biological Sciences at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was married with a daughter.

He passed away peacefully, surrounded by family members and loved ones.

Funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.”