ADC raises alarm over alleged plot, pressure on INEC to destabilise party after Kwankwaso’s defection
Maureen Aguta
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Federal Government of orchestrating a calculated move to destabilise the party in the wake of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s defection, alleging undue pressure on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joas Ojo Amupitan, to interfere in its internal affairs.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday by the party’s spokesman, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC claimed that recent developments point to a coordinated attempt to weaken what it described as Nigeria’s “only viable opposition platform.”
At the centre of the controversy is a March 28, 2026 letter written by a group of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), purportedly acting on behalf of an expelled party member.
According to the ADC, the letter is being used as a tool to pressure INEC into taking administrative decisions that could alter the party’s leadership structure, despite ongoing legal proceedings.
The party expressed concern that the legal dispute, which it said should remain within the confines of the judiciary, is now being weaponised to achieve political objectives outside the courtroom.
“The ADC has observed a coordinated attempt to pressure the INEC chairman and destabilise the David Mark-led leadership of the party,” Abdullahi stated, linking the development to what he described as growing anxiety within the ruling party following Kwankwaso’s move.
He alleged that the letter not only seeks a controversial interpretation of a Court of Appeal ruling on the concept of “status quo ante bellum,” but also goes as far as threatening the electoral umpire with arrest if its demands are not met within seven days.
Describing the demands as “vexatious,” the ADC said the authors of the letter were effectively asking INEC to invalidate party meetings, remove duly recognised officials, and hand over control of the party to a particular individual—even as the substantive matter remains unresolved in court.
The party also dismissed the claims of Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is reportedly at the centre of the dispute, insisting that he neither held the position of national chairman nor retained membership in the party.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Nafiu Gombe was never the Chairman of the ADC. He had earlier resigned alongside other members of the National Working Committee and has since been expelled,” the statement said, adding that any attempt to reconstruct a “status quo” elevating him to such a position was “entirely fictitious.”
The ADC further alleged a convergence of political and legal pressures aimed at stifling its rising influence, insisting that its growing acceptance among Nigerians has unsettled the ruling establishment.
Despite the mounting tensions, the party reaffirmed its resolve to resist any attempts to undermine its structure, vowing to deploy all constitutional means to defend its integrity.
It also called on INEC to remain neutral and uphold its constitutional mandate.
“This is bigger than the ADC,” Abdullahi said. “It is about the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process and the right of citizens to freely choose an alternative political path.”
The development signals a deepening political contest ahead of future electoral cycles, as opposition realignments continue to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.