ADC Accuses FG of Plot to Use INEC to Destabilise Party Over Kwankwaso’s Defection

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Federal Government, led by the All Progressives Congress (APC), of plotting to destabilise the party following the defection of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

The party said the move is part of a wider effort to weaken opposition forces ahead of next year’s election.

The ADC also alleged that pressure is being mounted on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, to interfere in its internal leadership structure. It warned that such actions could threaten democratic processes if not checked.

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party pointed to a letter dated March 28, written by a group of Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

The letter, according to the ADC, is being used to push INEC into taking decisions that could alter the party’s leadership before the courts conclude on the matter.

The party described the development as a calculated attempt to force INEC into recognising certain individuals and reversing internal decisions that are still subject to judicial review.

“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.”

The ADC insisted that it remains united despite the ongoing dispute. It added that all its actions have followed due process and are within the provisions of the law.

The party further warned that any attempt to impose leadership from outside or through administrative pressure would be resisted. It stressed that the matter in question is already before the courts and should be left for judicial determination.