INEC Vs ADC: Fresh Crisis Erupts Over Control Of Party Leadership

A leadership crisis has broken out within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the party clash over the legitimacy of its newly installed executives.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

While INEC insists the ADC has not fulfilled the requirements for formal recognition of its new leadership, the party maintains that due process was strictly followed.

The dispute began after former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) resigned on July 1, following the ADC’s adoption as the platform for an opposition coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

At the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on July 29, former Senate President David Mark was inaugurated as National Chairman, while ex-Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola was appointed National Secretary. Nwosu formally handed over to Mark in the presence of INEC officials.

However, the transition was not accepted by all. Nafiu Bala, ADC’s 2023 governorship candidate in Gombe, condemned the takeover by Mark and Aregbesola as “an unprecedented assault on democracy.” He accused the party’s former leaders of surrendering control to “outsiders with no connection to the ADC” and subsequently declared himself interim National Chairman.

Despite the high-profile inauguration, INEC’s website still lists Nwosu and other former officials as the party’s recognized executives, fueling confusion.

INEC’s Stand
Victoria Eta-Messi, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, told Sunday Punch that the ADC had not completed the processes required for recognition. According to her, the commission is yet to receive sample signatures of the interim Chairman and Secretary.

INEC regulations mandate political parties to provide documented resolutions, verified signatures of authorized officials, and adherence to constitutional procedures before leadership changes can be ratified.

ADC’s Response
ADC’s National Secretary of Membership Mobilisation, Sadiq Yar’adua, dismissed INEC’s position, stressing that the party had already communicated all changes to the commission. He accused INEC of compromise, alleging the body was overlooking illegal campaign activities by the ruling APC.

Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, however, downplayed the crisis, assuring that the matter had been resolved and recognition of the Mark-led leadership was only a matter of time.

The Twist
According to Sunday Punch, the ADC erred in its notification to INEC. The report of the NEC meeting was signed only by Nwosu and Abdullahi, instead of being co-signed by both outgoing and incoming leaders. Party insiders revealed that this omission caused the delay, though corrections have now been made.

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