The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of trying to stop the party from running candidates in upcoming elections.
The party says INEC is using administrative tactics that could prevent it from meeting election deadlines.
ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said that INEC’s recent decision to stop accepting letters and documents from the party, pending the outcome of a court case, could block it from participating in the election.
The party argues that INEC’s move goes against the Electoral Act 2026, which sets clear timelines for political parties, including a 21-day notice period and deadlines for submitting candidate lists.
The ADC also reminded the public that INEC had already acknowledged its July 29, 2025 National Executive Committee meeting. At that meeting, David Mark was elected National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola National Secretary. INEC had monitored the meeting, received reports, and updated its records to reflect the new leadership.
According to the party, INEC even admitted in a sworn affidavit before the Federal High Court in Abuja that the leadership change was complete. The affidavit also said that internal party matters are outside court interference and that finalized decisions cannot be reversed by injunction.
Despite this, ADC worries that INEC’s refusal to accept correspondence could make it impossible to meet important deadlines, such as the May 10 cutoff for submitting election documents. The party said this could prevent it from fielding candidates unless the court resolves the leadership issue in time.
Abdullahi said the situation puts ADC in an “impossible position” and could be used to justify excluding the party from the elections. He also criticized INEC’s reasoning that the move was meant to protect court proceedings, calling it inconsistent with the commission’s earlier actions.
The ADC is asking INEC to start accepting correspondence from the party again and ensure a fair playing field for all political parties. It also urged Nigerians to watch out for attempts to undermine the democratic process.
