Half a Million Nigerians Join ADC After INEC Derecognition – Party Reveals

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says it has witnessed a massive surge in membership despite the recent action by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-recognise factions within the party.

The party described the development as a sign of growing public confidence, even in the face of what it called political pressure and institutional interference.

Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, made the disclosure in a statement shared on Sunday.

He said more than 500,000 Nigerians have joined the party within days of the INEC announcement.

“Between 7:00 PM on April 1st, when @inecnigeria released its statement, and 5:00 PM today, over half a million (500,000) new Nigerians have joined the ADC,” he wrote.

According to him, the response from Nigerians has been overwhelming. He noted that the figure reflects a strong reaction from citizens who are eager to align with the party at a critical time.

Earlier, Abdullahi had given a hint of the growing numbers. In a separate post on Thursday, he revealed that thousands had already begun registering shortly after the INEC statement was made public.

“Between 7:00 PM last night when the INEC Statement came out, and 7:00 AM this morning, over 40,000 people have registered to join ADC on http://adcregistration.ng,”
he posted.

The sudden rise in membership comes after INEC announced the de-recognition of two factions within the ADC. The affected groups are those led by Nafiu Bala Gombe and David Mark.

The electoral body explained that its decision followed the judgement of the Court of Appeal. INEC maintained that its action was based on legal interpretation and the need to maintain order within political parties.

However, the ADC has strongly rejected the move. The party accused INEC of misrepresenting the court ruling and acting in a biased manner.

At a press conference held earlier, party leaders expressed concern over what they described as an attack on democratic principles. They insisted that the commission’s decision was not only wrong but also dangerous for the political space.

The party went further to demand accountability. It called for the immediate removal of Joash Amupitan, describing him as unfit to continue in his role as national chairman of the electoral body.

ADC leaders said the commission has lost credibility. They argued that its actions show a pattern of partisanship that could undermine public trust ahead of future elections.

On its part, INEC has defended its position. The commission said it acted within the law and in line with the judgement delivered by the appellate court. It stressed that its duty remains the protection of democratic processes.