Delisting of party’s leadership: ADC demands sack of INEC boss, all national commissioners

Says Amupitan, Electoral body can no longer be trusted

.Accuses Amupitan-led INEC of being on a mission to truncate Nigeria’s democracy

.APC backs INEC on ADC faction derecognition, cites court ruling

BY ORIAKU IJELE

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded the sack of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, and all national commissioners.

Chairman of the party, Sen. David Mark, made the call on Thursday in Abuja during a widely attended world press conference, convened to address growing concerns over alleged electoral credibility and institutional neutrality.

His remarks followed INEC’s decision on Tuesday to delist the party’s leadership, a move he claimed, had intensified political tensions and raised fresh questions about the commission’s independence.

Mark accused the electoral body under the under Prof. Joash Amupitan of being on a mission to truncate Nigeria’s democracy.

According to him, INEC’s decision to withdraw recognition of the present leadership of the ADC is a calculated attempt to undermine the leading opposition coalition formed to end Bola Tinubu’s dictatorial tendencies as President of Nigeria.

Mark said: “What we say in essence is this: INEC cannot choose to fix the status quo from the day it took the administrative action to upload the names of the new ADC officials on its website, because INEC does not have the power to determine for any political party who its leaders should be. That decision was taken on July 29th, not on September 9th. With its press release yesterday, INEC has invented a status quo that never existed, because there was no time that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) did not have a duly constituted leadership.

“What INEC has done is to create a situation that, by its own curious logic, leaves the ADC without leadership. This certainly cannot be the status quo that the Court of Appeal directed should be preserved. It is an INEC invention that is not known to any Nigerian law.

“There is only one conclusion that Nigerians can draw from the April 1st action taken by INEC: THE ELECTORAL UMPIRE HAS TAKEN SIDES. IT CAN NO LONGER BE TRUSTED. As a matter of fact, INEC has acted in contempt of the Court of Appeal and has therefore acted unlawfully.

“My fellow democrats, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. It is not the ADC that is under attack. This is a direct assault on Nigeria’s democracy and the right of Nigerians to choose, participate, and exercise their rights as free citizens.

“We have witnessed how the APC-led Federal Government has undermined, compromised, and coerced other opposition political parties.”

Speaking further, Mark declared that the commission had lost public trust and was no longer capable of conducting credible, transparent, and acceptable elections in the country.

 “We demand the immediate resignation or sack of the INEC Chairman, Professor Amupitan, and all the national commissioners.

 “We no longer have confidence in them. We are convinced that they are incapable of conducting any credible election.

 “While posturing to be neutral, its actions clearly confirm that it has become irredeemably partisan in both conduct and decision-making.

 “With its actions, this INEC has left no one in doubt that it is complicit in undermining Nigeria’s democracy and can no longer be trusted,” he said.

Mark affirmed that the party would proceed with its planned national convention, stressing that INEC’s presence was not mandatory once lawful notification had been served.

He explained that the party had complied fully with all statutory requirements, insisting that no regulatory obstacle could lawfully halt its internal democratic processes.

The ADC chairman urged the international community to scrutinise INEC’s actions on Wednesday, April 1, warning that recent developments posed serious threats to Nigeria’s democratic stability.

He also cautioned that continued interference in party affairs could erode public confidence in elections and weaken democratic institutions across the country.

Calling on Nigerians to defend democracy, Mark described the moment as critical, urging citizens to remain vigilant, resolute, and actively engaged in safeguarding their rights.

He stressed that democracy thrives only when institutions remain impartial and accountable to the people they are meant to serve.

Mark reaffirmed confidence in democratic progress, stating that history consistently favours freedom over tyranny, and expressing optimism about Nigeria’s political future.

He said the country would overcome its current political challenges and emerge stronger through collective commitment to justice, rule of law, and electoral integrity.

Explaining how the NWC of the ADC came into being, Mark also said: “We did not come to the ADC by chance. We did our due diligence. We fulfilled all the party’s constitutional requirements, as well as all wider requirements under the laws that guide the management and operation of political parties.

“In furtherance of this process, a NEC meeting was convened on July 29th, 2025, monitored by INEC officials. One of the conclusions of that NEC meeting was the dissolution of the National Working Committee of the party, and the ratification of a caretaker committee to take over the affairs of the party, with my humble self, David Mark, as the National Chairman; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the National Secretary; as well as others who have since been serving as officers of the party.

“In addition to witnessing this process that brought in the new leadership of the party, a formal report of these resolutions was subsequently communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). On September 9th, 2025, INEC then uploaded the names of the relevant NWC members of the party, based on the NEC resolutions.

“One of the officials in the dissolved NWC was Nafiu Bala, who was one of the Deputy National Chairmen of the party. It is on record that Gombe resigned this position on 17th May, 2025. His resignation was also duly transmitted to INEC on the 12th of August, 2025.

“Regardless of his resignation, he decided to approach the courts on September 2nd, 2025, four clear months after his resignation, seeking to be recognised as the Chairman of the ADC.

“What this means is that by the 2nd of September, when he approached the courts, INEC was already aware that Secretary Aregbesola and I had been inaugurated on the 29th of July in a process monitored by INEC.

“INEC was also aware that Gombe had resigned his position before the said inauguration on the 29th of July.”

Prominent party leaders present at the briefing included Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rauf Aregbesola, Rotimi Amaechi, and John Odigie-Oyegun, among others.

Their presence, Mark noted, underscored broad support within the party for the ongoing reforms and the demand for accountability in Nigeria’s electoral system.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) says INEC’s decision to derecognise David Mark-led African Democratic Congress (ADC) faction complies with a court judgment.

APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, reacting to the development.

“INEC’s decision to de-recognise the factional David Mark-led executives of the ADC is in compliance with court judgment and valid in law.

“It’s justified and consistent with electoral policy and democratic practice. It is the consequence of the party’s reckless and desperate misadventure.

“ADC is highly escapist and irresponsible to blame APC for its internal woes of which they are sole architects,” he said.

Morka said the ADC had become an assembly of desperate politicians and a peddler of conspiracy theories against the APC.

“The ADC was a party that never was, designed with a self-destructive detonator and now unraveling fast,” Morka added.

He alleged factional leadership under David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola hijacked the party in violation of constitutional provisions.

He added that the ADC inability to manage internal affairs makes it unfit as a platform to be taken seriously by Nigerians.

“A party that cannot fix itself cannot fix Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, the ADC has nothing to offer beyond attacks against the APC.

“Our great party and President Bola Tinubu remain steadfast in delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda, strengthening democratic institutions for peace and prosperity,” Morka said.