ADC alleges plot to pressure INEC chairman, destabilise party
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged a coordinated attempt to pressure the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, and destabilise its leadership under Sen. David
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged a coordinated attempt to pressure the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, and destabilise its leadership under Sen. David Mark.
The party said the development followed Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso's decision to join its ranks, which it claimed had unsettled the ruling party.
In a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC alleged that top Federal Government officials renewed their onslaught against the party to discourage other high-profile figures.
The party linked the alleged pressure to an ongoing legal dispute, accusing unnamed actors of attempting to extend the matter beyond the courts.
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"This conspiracy is centred on a legal dispute that is now being pushed beyond the courtroom,” Abdullahi said, citing a letter dated March 28, 2026, in which a group of Senior Advocates of Nigeria reportedly asked INEC to enforce what the party described as a curious and peculiar interpretation of a Court of Appeal ruling on “status quo ante bellum.
ADC further alleged that the letter included threats against the INEC chairman, “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,” the statement said.
The party also claimed the request sought to compel INEC to invalidate party meetings, remove recognised officials, and hand over control of the party to a specific individual, despite the matter still pending before 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,” it added.
The ADC, however, dismissed claims by Nafiu Bala Gombe regarding the party’s leadership, stating that he was never its national chairman.
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“For the avoidance of doubt, Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe was never the Chairman of the ADC,” the party said, adding that he had resigned alongside other members of the National Working Committee and had since been expelled.
“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,” the statement added.
The party described the situation as a mix of legal pressure and political manoeuvring.
“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,” it said.
It maintained that the alleged actions would not derail its growth, adding, “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."
Calling on INEC to remain neutral and uphold its constitutional mandate, the party said, “We call on INEC to remain guided by the Constitution, resist all forms of pressure, and uphold its duty as an impartial umpire."
The party added that the issue goes beyond its internal affairs, stating, “This is bigger than the ADC. It is about whether Nigerians can freely choose a different path. And that must not be compromised.”
