By Adesina Soyooye 

Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT,  has faulted the action taken by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Recall that INEC had on Thursday, removed the names of the National Chairman and General Secretary of the ADC, Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola respectively from its portal.

INEC said by taking the action which affected the “two factions” of the Party, it was bowing to the ruling of the Court of Appeal. 

Not a few people have, however, slammed the INEC for the action, insisting that the Commission was dancing to the tune being played for it by the All Progressives Congress, APC. 

But Wike on Friday during his monthly Media Chat differed. He faulted INEC for also penalising the ADC faction led by Nafiu Bala Gombe. According to Minister Wike, INEC should have recognized Nafiu Bala Gombe as the National Chairman of the ADC.

He said that the David Mark-led ADC should be happy that INEC didn’t recognize any of the party factions until they sort their matter in court.

Bala Gombe is seeking to be the National Chairman of the ADC.

INEC suspended any  recognition of both factions within the party and will not monitor any conventions or congresses organised by the rival groups, pending the final determination of a substantive suit before the Federal High Court.

Speaking on the development.

But Wike said, “In my own opinion, INEC, by that judgment, ought to have recognized Bala Gombe as the ADC national chairman.

“ADC should be happy that INEC said, ‘Look, we are not going to recognize any of you until you sort your matter in court.”

The David-Mark led ADC which insists that Gombe resigned his position from the Party said it would carry on with its timetable for Congresses and National Convention inspite of INEC’s position.

By Suleiman Anyalewechi 

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has issued a timetable for its scheduled Congresses and Convention.

This is coming amidst a note of warning from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Joash Amupitan, against the party proceeding with the said congresses and Convention without its input.

On an Arise Television programme Friday, April 3, 2026, the INEC Chairman warned that the ADC will be risking it all, including its electoral victory post-2027 polls, if it goes ahead with the planned congresses and Convention billed for April 9 and April 14 2026 respectively.

The INEC had, on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, to the chargrin of not a few Nigerians, announced its discontinuation of the recognition of the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee, NEC of the ADC, pending the determination of all legal proceedings in relation to the party’s leadership tussle.

The implication of  the freezing of all the activities of the party by the INEC, including its planned  Congresses and Convention is dire.

But in a statement on Friday from its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC insisted that the party’s activities, including the Congresses and Convention will proceed as scheduled.

The party informed that it has already taken steps to give  the Commission the legally required 21 days notice through its letters dated  February 27, 2026, and March 28, 2026.

“This is to notify all party members that despite INEC’s illegal actions, the ADC will continue with its Congresses as scheduled, having duly notified INEC by our letters dated 27th February 2026 ,and 28th March 2026.”

According to the statement, the screening of aspirants would hold on April 7, with appeals arising from the exercise entertained on April 8.

Polling unit, ward and Local Government Congresses, are to be conducted on April 9 with appeals emanating therefrom, attended to on April 10.

The party’s State Congress will be held across the States on April 10, 2026, with April 11 and 12 fixed for hearing of appeals.

The national convention will hold on April 14 2026.

By Ayodele Oni 

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan has revealed that the Commission is trying to avoid mistake of the past whereby a winner of an election will be stopped by a Court order.

Amupitan has therefore cautioned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) against proceeding with its planned congresses and national convention without the commission’s supervision.

Senator David Mark had at a press conference on Thursday vowed that ADC would proceed on its national convention with or without the presence of INEC officials.

This is coming on the heel of derecognition of chairmen and secretary of the two factions of ADC by INEC, citing a Court order.

Mark maintained that “we have our congresses starting on the 9th of April, 2026, ending with our convention on the 14th April, 2026. We have given due notice to INEC, and they have acknowledged receipt of that notice. This is what the law requires of us.

“Let us also make it clear: we are proceeding with our party programmes, because there is nothing under the law that makes INEC’s attendance, a mandatory requirement. We have duly served INEC notice, and we will proceed accordingly.

Amupitan issued the warning during an interview on Arise TV on Friday, following the party’s insistence on going ahead with its convention despite INEC’s derecognition of the leadership linked to Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola.

He stressed that INEC’s decision was guided by legal considerations, particularly an existing court order.

“So if they are going ahead with their congress, with their convention, it’s left for them to look at it, whether it is in contravention of the court. 

“INEC didn’t just take a decision. We didn’t just wake up one day and took this decision. There was something that led to it. There was an order of court.”

According to him, the court had directed parties not to take actions that could undermine ongoing proceedings.

“Don’t do anything. Don’t take any step that will render any proceeding before the court nugatory,” Amupitan stated.

He explained that the issue of conducting congresses and conventions is already part of a pending legal process.

“So, if already they are asking that don’t do any congress, don’t do any convention, it is a relief that is being claimed. And especially they filed a motion for that purpose, that motion has not been determined,” he added.

The INEC chairman warned that disregarding court orders could have serious consequences, citing past electoral precedents.

“Let me tell you what happened in Zamfara. It happened in the past. We don’t want to conduct an election without this early warning, and at the end of the day, after you have won, the court again will come and declare the election invalid. 

“And the implication is that the person with the second highest number of vote will be declared the winner,” he said.

He also referenced a similar situation in Plateau State, where failure to comply with court directives affected electoral outcomes.

“It happened in Plateau State during the last election… failure to obey the court order has consequences,” Amupitan noted.

While maintaining that the ADC is free to act as it chooses, he emphasised that INEC would not risk repeating past mistakes.

“They are at liberty to do whatever they want to do, but INEC do not want to go into this situation again,” he said.

By Suleiman Anyalewechi 

A United States of America, USA, advisory and lobbying firm – Von-Batten-Montague –  has raised serious concern over the timing and motives behind the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw recognition from the Senator David Mark-led national leadership of the opposition African Democratic Congress, ADC.

The Washington DC-based  Republican Party-affiliated firm said it is preparing to present a formal report of the curious development both to President Donald Trump’s administration and the USA Congress.

The lobbying firm’s position is coming against the backdrop of INEC’s announcement on Wednesday April 1,2026 of its decision to delist the Mark-led National Executive Committee NEC from its portal on the strength of a subsisting Court of Appeal judgment directing parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum in relation to the ongoing leadership tussle in the ADC .

A statement from the INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, informed that the decision to withdraw recognition from the two groups-Mark-led NEC and Bala Nafiu Gombe group was to maintain its neutrality and avoid pre-emptying ongoing legal proceedings on the matter.

However, not a few, including the ADC, and several opposition parties are of the view that the electoral umpire is playing  a script from the ruling All Progressive Congress,and President Bola Tinubu to shut out dissenting voices from the 2027 polls.

In a statement posted on its  official site, Von-Batten-Montague, while expressing deep concern over  INEC’s decision , called on President Tinubu to ensure the enthronement of free, fair and credible democratic processes in Africa’s largest democracy .

According to the US lobbying firm, there is the urgent need to ensure that the conduct and outcome of the 2027 general elections are beyond reproach, free from doubt, as well as fully reflective of the will of the majority of Nigerians.

“The Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has withdrawn recognition of the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and suspended all official engagement with the party pending ongoing litigation.

“This action has effectively frozen Nigeria’s main opposition political party at a critical moment as it prepares to compete in the upcoming Nigerian presidential election, raising serious concern about the opposition’s ability to organize and participate fully in the process.

“At a time when Nigerians expect free, fair and credible elections, any development that disrupts political participation creates institutional uncertainty or undermines the perceived index of electoral bodies must be addressed with urgency and transparency.

“Nigeria is not only Africa’s largest democracy, but also a critical strategic partner of the United States in regional security, economic stability and counterterrorism . 

“The integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process is, therefore, of direct importance to US interests and global stability.

“Accordingly, the firm will be presenting its concerns to members of the United States Congress and the @realDonalTrump”, Von-Batten-Montague stated.

By Akinwale Kasali 

Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development,  has urged members of opposition Party, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to thank electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for its decision to derecognise factions of the party’s leadership.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria took to his X handle on Friday to say:

“INEC’s action affecting the leadership linked to Senator David Mark is a legal issue

“The David Mark’s faction of the ADC really think they can use emotional reasoning and blackmail to bluff their way out of a purely legal conundrum they brought upon themselves. Unfortunately for them, law does not admit of sentiment. Decisions are based on facts, evidence, and the interpretation of laws, rather than on sympathy, emotion or political considerations,” he said.

Keyamo dismissed arguments about maintaining the status quo, insisting that the real issue is a pending legal challenge over the party’s leadership.

“All those who are arguing about ‘status quo ante bellum’ are dispensing their time and energy chasing shadows and not the substance. This is because whether INEC recognises either faction for now is irrelevant: what is relevant is that there is a challenge regarding the take-over of the Party pending in court by a duly elected Deputy National Chairman,” he stated.

He warned that the unresolved dispute could have serious implications for the party’s participation in future elections.

“As long as that case remains in court, all the actions of either faction may end up being nugatory after the deadline for nominations of candidates by INEC. The implication is that the ADC may end up having no candidate for the election,” Keyamo added.

The Minister said INEC’s decision should be seen as a warning rather than an attack on the party.

“Therefore, instead of vilifying INEC, the ADC should rather thank INEC for this timely action of de-recognising both factions before the close of the window for nominating candidates. It has duly forewarned the party of the danger ahead,” he said.

He advised the party to either resolve its internal crisis, seek an accelerated court hearing, or explore alternative political options.

“It has opened a window for them to either find a new, risk-free platform or ask for accelerated hearing of the case in court, or politically settle the leadership question in the party quickly,” he added.

He, however, rejected claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or INEC was responsible for the crisis.

“To keep blaming imaginary opponents or INEC is purely mischievous: neither APC nor INEC prodded these grown adults and supposedly ‘experienced’ politicians to go and hijack an existing platform without sound legal advice,” he said.

He added that ADC’s plan to proceed with its Congresses despite INEC’s stance is their business, stressing that,  “They say they will proceed with their congresses and convention despite INEC’s decision and the ruling of the Court of Appeal. That is fine by us. Never interrupt your opponent when he is making a mistake.”

By Ayodele Oni 

National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, has taken a swipe at the leadership of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) for blaming their word on the party and President Bola Tinubu.

Basiru pointed out that “It would be disingenuous to blame President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party for the consequences of their own disregard for the rule of law. 

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the APC Scribe stated that “We hope that they will not come to tell Nigerians that it is the APC or President Bola Tinubu that is weakening democracy when they meet the consequences of their planned illegality!

“The ADC must also come to terms with a hard truth: blaming other parties will not fix their internal crises. No amount of external finger-pointing can erase their consistent failures or resolve their lingering leadership issues. 

“It is wishful thinking to assume that other political parties will step in to rescue them from problems they have repeatedly failed to manage.

“When All Progressives Congress lost all the seats it had won in Zamfara State due to its own unresolved internal crisis, and Peoples Democratic Party became the beneficiary, everyone agreed it was the rule of law taking its course. 

“No outrage, no conspiracy theories, just the consequences of failing to put your house in order.

On ADC claim that President Tinubu is weakening opposition to force a one party state ahead of the 2027 election

Basiru stated that “As at today, there are 19 registered political parties in Nigeria with potential to compete in the 2027 election and President Tinubu has no power to deregister any political party.  

“Nigerians must know that the present predicament of David Mark and his ilk has to do with the untidy way they hijacked the leadership of an existing political party without carrying along all stakeholders.

“This resulted in court litigation before the Federal Hight Court and the adverse judgment of the Court of Appeal upon which the INEC predicated it decision not to recognise any of the two contending parties for the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) pending the determination of the pending suit by the court.

“The David Mark factional ADC leadership appear to be indulging in self-delusion by positioning themselves as the leading opposition, when their recent electoral outings clearly suggest otherwise. 

“You cannot lay claim to national relevance while your performance at the polls remains abysmal and unconvincing. 

“Since the inception of their so- called coalition, they have been roundly rejected at the polls by Nigerians, including during the recently held Local Government Area Council election held in the Federal Capital Territory.  

“Leadership of the opposition is not declared through press conferences or rhetoric; it is earned through consistent electoral credibility and public trust, both of which they have struggled to demonstrate.

“Therefore, President Bola Tinubu and indeed the All Progressives Congress cannot be bothered about the contraption of electoral unviability being bandied as a ‘coalition’.”