Dare Babalola
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Federal Government led by the All Progressives Congress (APC) of mounting pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to destabilise its internal structure following the defection of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to the party.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, alleged that there is a coordinated attempt to influence INEC Chairman, Joash Ojo Amupitan, to interfere in the party’s leadership and undermine its stability.
He claimed that the move is part of a broader strategy to weaken what the party described as a growing and viable opposition platform.
Abdullahi said the alleged pressure intensified after Kwankwaso’s entry into the ADC, which he noted has unsettled the ruling party and triggered efforts to discourage other prominent political figures from joining.
According to him, the situation centres on an ongoing legal dispute involving the party, which some actors are allegedly attempting to manipulate outside the courtroom.
The ADC spokesperson pointed to a letter dated March 28, 2026, reportedly written by a group of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, purportedly representing an expelled member of the party.
He said the letter sought to compel INEC to adopt what he described as a “peculiar interpretation” of a Court of Appeal ruling on the concept of “status quo ante bellum,” even as the substantive case remains unresolved.
He further alleged that the letter included threats against the INEC chairman, warning of possible arrest if the demands were not met within seven days.
The demands, he said, include invalidating party meetings, removing recognised officials, and restructuring the party’s leadership in favour of a specific individual—actions he argued no court has authorised.
Abdullahi dismissed the claims of the individual at the centre of the dispute, Nafiu Bala Gombe, stating that he was never the national chairman of the ADC and had previously resigned alongside other members of the party’s National Working Committee before being expelled.
He described any attempt to reinstate him under the guise of restoring a “status quo” as baseless and fictitious.
The ADC maintained that the developments reflect a convergence of political interference and legal pressure aimed at stifling the party’s growth.
It insisted that no amount of intimidation or manipulation of legal processes would halt its rising momentum or the increasing support it claims to be receiving from Nigerians.
Calling on INEC to remain neutral, the party urged the electoral body to uphold its constitutional responsibility as an impartial umpire and resist any external influence.
Abdullahi stressed that the issue goes beyond party politics, warning that any compromise could undermine Nigerians’ ability to make free political choices ahead of future elections.
