ADC: You Don’t Go To War With Only One Plan: We Anticipated What INEC Is Doing – El-Rufai

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Indications have emerged that  the progenitors and founding figures of the opposition Coalition platform may have envisaged the present leadership quagmire in the party with an alternative plan said to be in place.

The Source reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had, on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, shockingly announced its discontinuation of recognition of the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee NEC of the ADC, citing a subsisting Court of Appeal judgment that  ordered the maintenance of status quo by parties in the  leadership tussle as a major reason.

But not a few political watchers  perceive the development as part of the alleged orchestrated plots by the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, and President Bola Tinubu to fend off strong opposition ahead of the 2027 polls.

 A viral old video of an interview session between detained former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and Arise News Channel currently in circulation revealed that the brains behind the opposition Coalition had anticipated the present situation and had, therefore, made contingency plans to overcome the storm.

According to El-Rufai, the leaders of the ADC had factored-in events like the current orchestrated leadership crisis, and had, therefore, made alternative plans including the formation of a new party.

“You don’t go to war with only one plan. So very early in our discussions, the leaders of the coalition took the decision that we will not only look for existing platforms, and identify one that is suitable for all of us to go under one roof, but will also explore the possibility of registering a brand new party .

“Many of the leaders believe that registering a brand new party is the least risky of the proposition  going by the obviously instigated crises in the PDP, LP, NNPP and others.

” I think a brand new party does not have legacy problems or any virus because what the Government and the ruling party has been doing is to create problems in opposition parties by recruiting and financing crises to multiply.

“This is what is happening in the Labour Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and even the New Nigeria Peoples Party.

“Many of the leaders then believed that the only way to completely avoid the possibility of external and instigated crises from a mischievous Government and party that are totally immoral, that will do anything to eliminate all opposition, is to register a brand new party. And the constitution and the Electoral Act are very clear about the requirements for registering a new party” El-Rufai stated.

However, the former Kaduna state Governor noted that the coalition leaders were very much sceptical of having a new party registered under the former INEC Chairman Prof Mahmud Yakubu.

“Many of us do not believe that a new party will be registered under the current leadership of INEC. For one, Prof Mahmud Yakubu is not Jega, and President Tinubu is not Jonathan.

“Those were the people in charge when the APC was registered and many were pessimistic about the prospects of registering a new party. But we said: let us try it anyway”

” Let us prove that INEC is not Independent; let us show that this Government (Tinubu’s administration) is interfering to ensure that there is no opposition.

“So we are pursuing both paths- registering a new party and using ADC. And if both become available, then the leadership will then sit down and a decision will be taken”, the former Kaduna state Governor had stated then.

However it is not yet known how and when the ADC leaders will be activating the “brand new party” in the face of INEC’s onslaught

The Source further reports that El-Rufai, who is currently being held in custody, is facing inter-agency investigations and prosecutions over multiple charges bordering on alleged money laundering, diversion of public funds and security related Offences.

His bail application filed at a Federal High Court in Kaduna where he has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, will be coming up for ruling on April 14, 2026.

He is also expected to be arraigned at the Kaduna State High Court on April 10, while the the Department of State Service, DSS, will charge him on April 23, 2026 for alleged wire-tapping of the telephone number of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.