Wetin Inec decision to derecognise ADC wey David Mark dey lead mean for di party

Di African Democratic Congress (ADC) don reject di decision of di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) to remove di names of dia National Chairman David Mark, National Secretary, Rafiu Aregbesola plus names of oda National Working Committee members comot dia portal sake of one Court of Appeal Court ruling.

ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi wey react to di development for one statement accuse di electoral bodi say dem yield to political pressure.

E allege say na govment influence Inec position as dem no happy wit di rising momentum wey ADC dey get, despite wetin e describe as sustained efforts to weaken opposition parties and impose a one-party system

"Inec press statement dey full of contradictions wey dey fly for di face of both facts and reason. We go clear dis contradictions for all to see. Wetin dey clear, however, na say Inec don bow to pressure and don choose to side wit di govment against di Nigerian pipo," e tok.

Dis reaction plus plenti oda reactions don follow afta Inec on Wednesday tok say dem go henceforth cease to accept correspondences from either di David Mark-led ADC faction or dat of Rafiu Bala, afta dem review di Court of Appeal judgment on 12 March dis year.

One statement wey di Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Kudu sign bin also say di commission no go any longer engage wit either faction, nor monitor any meeting, congresses, or conventions of di two groups until di mata wey dey di Federal High Court dey decided.

Rafiu Bala, wey be di vice chairman of di ADC bifor di David Mark-led caretaker committee assume control of di party, bin go courts to challenge di emergence of David Mark and im colleagues for di National Working Committee.

For July 2025, some popular politicians gada to unveil di African Democratic Congress (ADC) as dia chosen party for di coalition to face di ruling All Progressives Congress, APC for di 2027 election.

During dat meeting, Ralph Nwosu, di founder and pioneer Chairman of di African Democratic Congress (ADC), officially handover di mantle of leadership give di former Senate president David Mark, as di interim National Chairman of di party while former Osun state govnor Rauf Aregbesola go serve as di interim National Secretary.

However, Nafiu Bala Gombe carry di mata go court say na im suppose be di leader of ADC since all oda executive members don resign. E write to di court say make Inec no recognise David Mark and im pipo as di leader of di party.

Di ADC claim say Nafiu Bala, wey dey challenge David Mark leadership of di party for court, bin don already resign from di party since 18 May, 2025.

Oga Abdullahi bin post one letter on im official X account wey e claim say na di resignation letter of Oga Bala.

BBC News Pidgin no fit immediately verify di authenticity of di letter.

All dis dey happun as preparations for di 2027 elections dey for top gear.

Wetin Inec tok

Inec tok say David Mark camp write through dia legal chamber say make dem no recognise any ADC activity by Nafiu Bala Gombe, and make di commission no recognise am as acting National Chairman of di party.

Naso Nafiu Bala Gombe write im own back through im own legal chamber say make di commission no recognise David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola national leadership of ADC.

Dem carry di mata reach Court of Appeal, wia di court rule say make Inec no recognise David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as leaders of di party, make Inec comot dia names from dia portal and make Inec no deal wit dem in any activity wey concern di party.

Nafiu Bala Gombe say im no resign from di party, and as per say im be di only National Vice Chairman wey dey di party bifor dem David Mark come, na im suppose dey recognised as di acting National Chairman of ADC.

For 12 March, 2026, di Court of Appeal say make di party maintain status quo.

Inec say dem refuse to agree make Nafiu Bala Gombe take ova affairs of ADC until di case don dey determined.

How Nigerians dey react

Plenti reactions don follow di electoral commission decision, some question if di electoral bodi get right to chook mouth for internal affairs of a political party. Odas allege say di umpire dey show partisanship and fault di timing.

Pipo also question if ADC no go get leader until di Federal High Court determine dia case, and if dem go fit meet Inec election timetable?

One respected constitutional lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, wey chook mouth for di mata say e be like "a well-orchestrated sinister conspiracy to truncate contested and credible elections for 2027."

E add say e be like say Inec want make only one candidate contest for di presidential election for 2027.

"E be like say di ruling party, wey pride imsef as having ova thirty govnors for dia fold, dey fear fair contestation. If na di desire of Inec for Bola Tinubu to contest as a sole candidate - unopposed, for 2027, make di Commission tok am publicly. E go save di kontri billions of Naira budgeted for di 'presidential election'," Inihebe tok.

Also, di National Coordinator of di Obidient Movement, Peter Obi support group, Yunusa Tanko, warn say Inec decision na recipe for crisis. E add say di consequence no go good if di commission choose to dey partisan.

However, tok-tok pesin of di All Progressives Congress Felix Morka don also react as e clear am say di ruling party no get hand for di leadership wahala wey ADC dey face and Inec announcement.

Oga Morka say any problem wey ADC dey face now, na dem cause am by demsefs wit dia failure to ignore di rules of law.

"Inec decision to derecognise di David Mark executive, na dem cause am demsefs. APC no orchestrate di hijack of di ADC executives. Na dem cause am for demsefs by ignoring di rule of law, ignoring di constitution of di party dem dey chook dia bodi inside. Una come party, take ova and yet no familiarise una sefs wit di di succession and leadership of di party. Una come dey point hand at APC, wetin concern us?" e tok.

Implications of Inec decision for di ADC

Political analyst Olalekan Ige tell BBC News Pidgin say Inec position dey difficult to understand.

Di commission say e dey obey court order but different opinions, especially by lawyers don full ground say Inec bin act too fast, e tok.

"For me, Inec suppose wait for a clear judgment from di court and no be one controversial legal term wey dey heat up di polity."

Oga Ige say di implications for 2027 dey glaring. If di ADC wey now be di major opposition party dey rendered impotent, e practically mean say di ruling party fit return unopposed for many states.

ADC say di implication of wetin Inec tok na say dem no go fit participate for any election.

"Ekiti state election dey come, Osun election dey come, by derecognising di leadership of di ADC, you don render am impossible for di party to participate for dat election.

"Inec bring timeline wey dey difficult to meet. We bin don serve dem 21 days notice say our congress go start on di 9 of April, now by truncating di leadership of di ADC, you don also disrupt di process, and if di processes scata, we no go fit conduct election." ADC tok-tok pesin, Bolaji Abdullahi tok.

Ogbonge journalist and political analyst Ajibola Amzat say im dey shocked to hear Inec announcement. E say di implication na say ADC go dey weakened, as di court ruling fit take months.

Meanwhile, ADC say dem currently dey review dia options, and go make am known soon.