The ADC (African Democratic Congress) has accused the Federal Government of attempting to undermine its structure by allegedly pressuring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the defection of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, and sighted by ENigeria Newspaper, the party claimed that recent legal moves involving a group of Senior Advocates were part of a broader plan to interfere in its leadership and internal processes. According to the ADC, a March 28 letter linked to an expelled member is being used to push INEC into taking actions that could alter the party’s structure before the courts reach a final decision.
The party described the development as a calculated attempt to destabilise what it called “the only viable opposition” and vowed to resist any interference through constitutional means.
The full statement reads: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has observed a coordinated attempt to pressure the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), and destabilise the David Mark-led leadership of the party.
“The decision of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to join our party has understandably sent jitters through the ruling party. Since then, top officials within the Federal Government have renewed their onslaught against our party, in a bid to discourage other high-profile figures.
“This conspiracy is centred on a legal dispute that is now being pushed beyond the courtroom. In a letter dated March 28, 2026, a team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria is asking INEC to enforce a curious and peculiar interpretation of a Court of Appeal ruling regarding what constitutes “status quo ante bellum.”
“In the said letter, the writers even went ahead to threaten the INEC chairman with arrest if he does not grant their request within seven days. They want INEC to invalidate party meetings, remove recognised officials, and hand over the affairs of the party to a specific individual, even though the case itself has not been fully decided by the courts. Obviously, what the authors of this vexatious letter are attempting to do is to pressure INEC to take sides and grant them what no court in Nigeria has granted.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is claiming to be aggrieved over the ADC leadership, was never the Chairman of the ADC. And, perhaps more significantly, Nafiu Gombe had earlier resigned his position alongside other members of the National Working Committee. He has also since been expelled from the party. Therefore, any attempt to recreate a “status quo” that upgrades his position to National Chairman of the ADC at any point in time is, at best, fictitious.
“What we are witnessing is a convergence of legal pressure and political intent by a ruling party that is unsettled by the growing appeal of the ADC. But Nigerians can see what is happening.
“No amount of pressure, no manufactured confusion, and no distortion of legal processes will stop what is already in motion. The ADC is growing. Nigerians are joining. A credible opposition is taking shape.
“We call on INEC to remain guided by the Constitution, resist all forms of pressure, and uphold its duty as an impartial umpire.
“This is bigger than the ADC. It is about whether Nigerians can freely choose a different path. And that must not be compromised.”
Meanwhile, the ADC appears to be gaining momentum within the House of Representatives following a fresh wave of defections ahead of the 2027 elections. The party secured several lawmakers, including Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinobi, who defected from the Labour Party, alongside other members from both the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party.
Seyi Sowunmi, who represents Lagos state’s Ojo federal district, and Harris Okonkwo, who represents Anambra state’s Idemili North/Idemili South federal constituency, both defected from the LP to the ADC. Yaya Bauchi Tongo (Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye), Abdussamad Dasuki (Kebbe/Tambuwal, Sokoto), Mani Maishinko Katami (Binji/Silame, Sokoto), and Umar Yusuf Yabo (Yabo/Shagari, Sokoto) all defected to the ADC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
