The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has leveled serious accusations against ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) – led Federal Government, alleging a concerted effort to destabilize the party in the wake of Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s defection.
The ADC claims that undue pressure is being exerted on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), to
interfere with its leadership.
In a statement released on March 31, 2026, and signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, the ADC highlighted a letter dated March 28, 2026.
This letter, purportedly from a group of Senior Advocates representing expelled member, is allegedly being used to push INEC to invalidate legitimate party actions and alter its internal structure before a court ruling on the matter.
The ADC views this as a grand plan to undermine the only viable opposition party in the country and has vowed to
resist it through all constitutional means.
The full statement from the ADC details a “coordinated attempt to pressure the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, and destabilise the David Mark-led leadership of the party.”
within the ruling party, leading to a renewed offensive aimed at discouraging other highprofile figures from joining the opposition.
Central to this alleged conspiracy is a legal dispute that the ADC claims is being manipulated beyond the confines of the courtroom.
The letter from the Senior Advocates reportedly urges INEC to enforce a “curious and peculiar interpretation” of a Court of Appeal ruling concerning the “status quo ante bellum.”
These demands include invalidating party meetings, removing recognized officials, and transferring party affairs to a specific individual, despite the case not being fully adjudicated by the courts.
The ADC vehemently refutes the claims made in the letter, particularly regarding Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is cited as the aggrieved party.
the Chairman of the party and had previously resigned his position along with other members of the National Working Committee.
Furthermore, Gombe has since been
expelled from the party. Therefore, any attempt to establish a “status quo” that elevates him to National Chairman is deemed “fictitious” by the ADC “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,” the statement reads.
The ADC expresses confidence that Nigerians are aware of this machinations and declares, “No amount of pressure, no manufactured confusion, 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.”
The party concluded by urging INEC to adhere to the Constitution, resist all forms of pressure, and uphold its role as an impartial umpire, emphasizing that “This is bigger than the ADC. It is about whether Nigerians can freely choose a different path. And that must not
be compromised.”