The National Executive Committee Chairmen Forum of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has threatened a nationwide protest towards the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its dealing with of the celebration’s management disaster.
The discussion board additionally demanded the fast elimination of Senator David Mark and members of his dissolved Interim National Working Committee from INEC’s portal, insisting that the fee ought to substitute their names with these of Nafiu Bala Gombe and different officers it described because the legally recognised management of the celebration.
The calls for adopted Thursday’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, which nullified the Mark-led interim management of the celebration and its choices.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, the Secretary of the discussion board, Kennedy Odion, mentioned the judgment had vindicated the place of the celebration’s elected state chairmen, who had challenged the legitimacy of the interim nationwide management.
Odion mentioned the discussion board anticipated INEC to right away adjust to the court docket’s resolution by updating its information and recognising Bala Gombe because the genuine nationwide chairman of the ADC.
He additionally referred to as on the electoral fee to reopen its candidate nomination portal to allow the celebration to conduct contemporary primaries the place mandatory and add the names of its candidates for the 2027 normal elections.
According to him, the judgment invalidated choices taken by the Mark-led interim committee, together with the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar because the celebration’s presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi as his operating mate, and different candidates produced via its congresses and nationwide conference.
The discussion board warned that failure by INEC to implement the judgment would compel it to proceed with a deliberate nationwide protest towards the fee.
“Failure to comply with this latest judgment will leave us no option but to proceed with our planned nationwide protest against the electoral umpire. Nigeria is for all of us. No individual, however highly placed, is above the law,” Odion mentioned.
The discussion board recalled that it had earlier secured a judgment delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on April 29, 2026, which affirmed the tenure of elected state government committees pending the conduct of legitimate state congresses and a nationwide conference.
It mentioned the Court of Appeal upheld the judgment on June 13, 2026, however accused INEC of failing to adjust to the orders restraining it from recognising congresses organised by the Mark-led interim committee.
The chairmen additional disclosed that they’d taken the matter to the Supreme Court and filed functions searching for accelerated listening to of the appeals, though a listening to date was nonetheless being awaited.
Odion mentioned the discussion board had exercised restraint regardless of the rising pressure throughout the celebration, including that members had beforehand mobilised for a nationwide protest earlier than the most recent judgment was delivered.
He counseled the judiciary for what he described as its braveness in upholding justice and urged Bala Gombe to work in the direction of restoring unity and stability within the celebration.
The ADC management disaster has generated uncertainty over the celebration’s preparations for the 2027 normal elections, significantly the standing of candidates who emerged via the disputed interim management.
The discussion board mentioned it was ready to help Bala Gombe in rebuilding the celebration, whereas urging INEC to make sure that its information mirrored the most recent court docket resolution.
However, reacting to the discussion board’s place, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Grassroots Mobilisation Network (GMN), an ADC help group, Sadiq Lwafu, dismissed the chairmen as “jobless, faceless individuals” allegedly recruited by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He alleged that their actions had been a part of a wider plan by President Bola Tinubu to destabilise the opposition.
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