The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of undermining Nigeria’s democracy, alleging that recent actions by the electoral body were aimed at weakening opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.
Addressing a world press conference at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, described INEC’s decision to withdraw recognition of the party’s leadership as a direct attack on democratic freedoms and an attempt to destabilise the opposition.
Mark said the ADC had become the “last viable opposition party” in the country and alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government was bent on eliminating political opposition to pave the way for a one-party state.
According to him, the coalition of opposition forces that adopted the ADC platform was formed in response to what he called a sustained assault on democratic rights, including the freedom to choose, associate and participate in governance.
He explained that the party’s current leadership emerged from a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025, which was monitored by INEC. He said the meeting dissolved the party’s former National Working Committee and ratified a caretaker committee, with himself as National Chairman and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary.
Mark added that INEC later uploaded the names of the new party officials on September 9, 2025, in line with resolutions from the NEC meeting.
He, however, alleged that a former deputy national chairman of the party, Nafiu Bala, who had earlier resigned his position in May 2025, subsequently approached the court in a bid to be recognised as ADC chairman.
Mark said despite the matter being in court, INEC issued a press statement on April 1, 2026, withdrawing recognition of both the ADC leadership under him and the faction allegedly led by Bala.
He described the move as unlawful and a misinterpretation of the Court of Appeal’s directive that parties should maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the case.
“The electoral umpire has taken sides. It can no longer be trusted,” Mark declared, accusing INEC of acting in contempt of court and of creating what he called a “false equivalence” between the legitimate ADC leadership and a non-existent faction.
He insisted that there were no competing claims to the party’s leadership and maintained that the leadership inaugurated on July 29, 2025, remained the lawful executives of the ADC.
Mark also warned that INEC’s action could affect the party’s preparations for the forthcoming governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states, as well as its internal congresses scheduled to begin on April 9 and end with its convention on April 14, 2026.
He said the party had already notified INEC of the planned activities and would proceed with them as required by law,
stressing that the commission’s attendance was not mandatory.
The ADC chairman called for the immediate resignation or removal of the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, and all national commissioners, saying the party had lost confidence in their ability to conduct credible elections.
He also appealed to the international community to take note of what he described as a growing threat to Nigeria’s democracy and urged Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to resist any attempt to impose a one-party state on the country.
“This is a defining moment,” Mark said. “Nigeria belongs to all of us, and together, we must protect it.”
He concluded by expressing confidence that democracy would prevail despite the current challenges, insisting that neither Nigeria nor the ADC would be silenced.
