The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Monday said the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delist its leadership could stop it from fielding candidates in the 2027 elections.
According to the party, the agency’s refusal of its communications would also make it impossible for the party to meet key legal requirements, including notice periods and submission deadlines.
The party raised the alarm in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, a copy of which was made available to Blueprint in Abuja.
Abdullahi said available records showed that the electoral body had previously monitored, documented and recognised its leadership, making its current stance difficult to reconcile.
The party expressed dismay that at the heart of the emerging crisis is INEC’s stated position that it will no longer receive any correspondence from the ADC pending the determination of a matter before the Federal High Court.
While stating that INEC’s decision may appear procedural, he said in reality, “it creates a direct and dangerous conflict with the clear timelines imposed by the Electoral Act (2026), which provides defined windows, including the mandatory 21-day notice period and subsequent submission requirements, within which political parties must complete critical electoral processes.”
The statement said: “We are compelled to raise serious concerns about a developing situation that appears designed to prevent the African Democratic Congress (ADC) from fielding candidates in the upcoming elections. It is based on documentary evidence that we are now placing before the Nigerian public, including certified INEC records, attendance logs, monitoring reports, and excerpts from the Commission’s own sworn affidavit. Taken together, these documents establish a clear and consistent record of events.
“INEC received formal notice of the July 29, 2025 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the ADC. It deployed officials to monitor that meeting. It documented the proceedings and received formal reports from its field officers. Following this, INEC updated its internal records and uploaded the names of the new leadership, including Senator David Mark as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary. These are not claims. They are facts contained in INEC’s own records.
“In addition, the Commission’s sworn affidavit before the Federal High Court, in its response to Nafiu Bala Gombe on 12 September 2025, particularly in Clauses 14 to 19, affirms key legal principles: that the leadership transition had already been completed and recognized, that such internal party matters fall outside the scope of judicial interference, that completed acts cannot be reversed by injunction, and also recognizes the David Mark-led NWC.
“Yet, despite this clear documentary trail, INEC has now taken the position that it will no longer receive any correspondence from the ADC pending the determination of a matter before the Federal High Court. This is where the contradiction becomes dangerous.
“The Electoral Act imposes strict timelines on political parties, including the 21-day notice requirement and submission deadlines. INEC itself has fixed May 10 as the deadline for the submission of relevant documents. However, by refusing to receive communication from the ADC within this same period, the Commission is effectively preventing the Party from complying with the law.
“In simple terms, INEC is effectively threatening that unless the courts deliver judgment on the ADC leadership issue by May 10, it will prevent the ADC from producing candidates.
“This places the ADC in an impossible position and creates a clear pathway to artificial non-compliance, which can then be used to justify excluding the Party from fielding candidates. That is the landmine,” the party added.
Speaking further, Abdullahi said: “INEC has claimed that its April 1 decision was taken to avoid rendering the proceedings before the Federal High Court nugatory. The reality is the opposite. By intervening in a matter already before the court and issuing a pronouncement with clear legal and operational consequences, the Commission has itself undermined the very process it claims to protect.
“What is even more concerning is that this position contradicts INEC’s own prior conduct and legal stance. The same Commission that was monitored, documented, recognized, and swore to an affidavit confirming the ADC leadership is now acting in a way that contradicts its earlier position.
“We therefore call on the Commission to immediately reverse this position, resume the acceptance of all lawful correspondence from the ADC, and uphold its constitutional responsibility to ensure a level playing field for all political parties.
“We also call on Nigerians to be wary and remain vigilant about these dangerous machinations to subvert Nigeria’s democracy and impose a civilian dictatorship on the country.”
…Leave Tinubu out, opposition warned
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has said it is inaccurate to tag President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as being responsible for the crisis within the ADC.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Oyintiloye as saying this Monday while speaking with journalists in Osogbo, Osun state.
“The President is a true democrat and does not need to destabilise any party to secure re-election in 2027.
“The embattled ADC leadership should be courageous enough to tell Nigerians the truth rather than hold Tinubu responsible for the party’s challenges.
“Tinubu is the President, not a court of law that directed the ADC to maintain the status quo pending the determination of a case at the Federal High Court, instituted by one of its members.
“Tinubu is not a member of the Court of Appeal that delivered the judgment, neither does he have the time to poke his nose into unnecessary political matters.
“If the ADC is looking for anyone to blame, targeting Tinubu is a miscalculated move. I will advise the ADC to put its house in order and stop blaming Tinubu for its crisis,” he said.
“My candid advice to the ADC is to look inward and resolve its internal crisis rather than engaging in a blame game,” he added.
Oyintiloye also said there were 21 recognised political parties registered by INEC, while responding to allegations that Nigeria was drifting towards a one-party system.
“We have 21 registered political parties in the country, and the majority—if not all—will participate in the 2027 elections.
“With these 21 political parties, including the ADC, how can the country be described as a one-party state?
“Opposition leaders should stop spreading false and unsubstantiated information about the 2027 general elections and focus on resolving their internal crises.
“No campaign of calumny will prevent the President from securing a landslide victory in the 2027 elections,” he said.
