The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating a “sinister” plot to destabilize the opposition party, alleging that a paid protest is being planned in Abuja to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into illegally altering the party’s leadership.
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, made the allegations in a statement released today, claiming the move represents a shift in tactics after earlier efforts to influence INEC failed.
According to Abdullahi, the APC is seeking to exploit a public protest scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, 2nd April, in the capital. He alleged the demonstration is being sponsored by a “notoriously minister” and is intended to manufacture public pressure on the INEC Chairman. The stated objective of the planned protest, he noted, is to demand the removal of Senate President David Mark from his position—a move Abdullahi characterized as a pretext to install an expelled former member as the ADC’s National Chairman.
“The plan is simple: a paid crowd, posturing as aggrieved party members, will take to the streets demanding ‘David Mark Must Go,’” Abdullahi said in the statement. He argued the goal is to force INEC to “magically upgrade and recognise an individual who resigned his position and was subsequently expelled from the ADC.”
The ADC’s statement follows the recent defection of former Kano State Governor H.E. Rabiu Kwankwaso to the party, which Abdullahi described as a “milestone movement” that has heightened tensions with the ruling party.
The ADC spokesperson alleged that the APC’s aim is to hijack what he called “the only viable opposition party left in the country,” adding that the government’s actions have grown increasingly desperate in recent days. “They are not just afraid of our momentum. They are afraid of what happens when the Nigerian people start paying attention and begin to believe that change is possible,” he said.
While vowing to remain law-abiding, Abdullahi issued a direct appeal to President Bola Tinubu, stating that the ADC would “resist by all lawful and necessary means.” He added: “If they are not acting on his orders, President Tinubu should rein in his enforcers before it is too late.”
The ADC has framed the alleged plot as an attempt to resuscitate a legal case it claims is already “suffocating in the courts under the weight of its own illegality.” The party did not provide specific details regarding the legal proceedings referenced.
As of the time of this report, the APC and INEC had not issued official responses to the allegations.