The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has openly challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its handling of a Court of Appeal ruling concerning the party’s ongoing leadership dispute.
In a statement dated April 1, 2026, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, criticised INEC for taking down the names of its National Working Committee (NWC) from the commission’s official portal. He described the move as conflicting and lacking neutrality.
The ADC argued that the commission’s action suggests it may have bowed to political pressure from forces uneasy about the party’s increasing popularity.
At the centre of the crisis is a March 12, 2026, Court of Appeal directive instructing all parties involved in the leadership battle to maintain the “status quo ante bellum” until the matter is fully resolved. The dispute pits a faction aligned with Senator David Mark against another group led by Nafiu Bala.
INEC, however, justified its decision by stating that the details of the Mark-led executive were uploaded in September 2025, after the legal challenge had already been initiated, prompting the removal in line with its interpretation of the court order.
