INEC Bombshell: Internal Memo Reveals Major Flaws In ADC Leadership Structure

The memo, dated August 6, 2025, relates to communication between the ADC and INEC concerning meetings that led to the formation of the party’s caretaker committee. It included details such as the list of the caretaker committee, the National Working Committee (NWC), zonal officers, and minutes from the party’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025.

According to the memo, signed by Deputy Director of the Election Party Monitoring Committee, Joan Arabs, the ADC failed to give the mandatory 21-day notice required before holding the meeting that produced the caretaker committee. It also did not provide proper records of that meeting.

The document noted that this omission violates provisions of the Electoral Act, which require political parties to notify INEC ahead of key meetings involving leadership decisions. As a result, the process that led to the caretaker committee could be considered invalid.

INEC acknowledged that the party notified the commission about the NEC meeting where decisions were ratified but failed to notify it about the earlier meeting where those decisions were initially made.

The memo further pointed out that the ADC did not clearly state when the caretaker committee’s decisions would take effect, adding that the commission cannot impose timelines on a political party’s internal processes.

Additionally, the party was said not to have submitted specimen signatures of the caretaker chairman and secretary, which are required for official recognition.

Based on these issues, the memo recommended that INEC should wait until the ADC submits the proper documentation, including names, signatures, and an effective start date for the new leadership.

While the ADC relied on provisions in its 2022 constitution to justify its actions, the memo argued that the caretaker committee was not directly constituted by the NEC but rather approved after the fact.

It also emphasized that for any decision to be ratified, it must have been properly carried out beforehand. However, INEC stated there was no official record of the caretaker committee’s formation submitted to the commission prior to its ratification, raising further questions about the legitimacy of the process.