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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deepened on Tuesday after the party released an affidavit it said was issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on September 12, 2025, affirming the leadership of a National Working Committee (NWC) led by former Senate President, David Mark.
The document, according to ADC on its official X handle (Formerly Twitter) known as “ADC Vanguard”, explicitly confirmed that the party’s leadership transition had been concluded and duly recognised by INEC, while also stressing that internal party affairs fall outside the jurisdiction of judicial interference.
The development comes amid rising political tension following INEC’s recent refusal to recognise the Mark-led leadership an action that has sparked outrage within the party and across sections of the opposition.
Citing Clauses 14 to 19 of the affidavit, ADC leaders argued that INEC’s current position directly contradicts its earlier stance.
“This affidavit clearly shows that INEC had acknowledged and accepted the outcome of our internal processes,” a senior party official said. “For the same institution to now turn around and deny that recognition raises serious legal and ethical questions.”
They described the situation as “a dangerous precedent.”
“You cannot approbate and reprobate at the same time. INEC cannot validate a leadership structure in 2025 and disown it in 2026 without eroding public trust,” he stated.
The party went further to allege political interference by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing it of using state institutions to weaken opposition voices ahead of future elections.
In the statement, it said: “It is now crystal clear that the APC, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the embattled INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, are attempting to weaponise INEC to foist a one-party system on Nigeria.”
They further warned that such actions threaten the very foundation of democratic governance.
The ADC insisted that the issue goes beyond party politics, framing it as a broader struggle to preserve Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
“No democracy survives where institutions meant to be neutral become tools for political suppression. What is happening today is an attempt to silence alternative voices and shrink democratic space,” the party said.
The party called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, and the international community to take note of what it described as a “critical moment” in the country’s democratic journey.
“Every patriotic citizen must rise to defend the integrity of our democracy. This is not just an ADC fight it is a fight for Nigeria’s future,” the statement added.
As tensions continue to mount, all eyes remain on INEC for clarification on its shifting stance, and on the courts, which may ultimately be called upon to resolve the deepening leadership crisis.