The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) recent removal of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Working Committee (NWC) members from its portal as a problem entirely of the opposition party’s own making.
Speaking on News Central on Thursday, APC spokesperson Felix Morka rejected allegations that the ruling party was behind INEC’s decision to stop recognising David Mark as ADC national chairman and former governor Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary.
“We are only concerned about our level of preparation and the effort we are making. We’re concerned about ourselves. It is the opposition that is obsessed about what the APC does,” Morka said.
He added: “Even the most recent development that everyone is talking about—INEC’s decision to derecognise the David Mark executive—was utterly self-inflicted. The APC didn’t do that. We did not orchestrate the hijack of the ADC by that executive.”
INEC removed the Mark-led NWC from its portal on Wednesday, citing a March 12 ruling by the Court of Appeal. The commission also delisted the factional chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe. INEC stated it would no longer recognise any factional activities until the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court resolves the party’s leadership dispute.
In response, the ADC, through its national publicity secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the ruling party of hijacking its leadership and pressuring INEC to sack the Mark-led NWC. “The electoral body acted under pressure from a government panicked by the opposition momentum, despite its efforts to destroy all opposition parties and foist a one-party rule on Nigeria,” the ADC alleged.
Morka dismissed the accusation, arguing that INEC withdrew recognition from Mark and Aregbesola because they disregarded the ADC’s constitution and the rule of law.
“They did that, completely ignoring the rule of law and the party’s constitution on succession. When you parachute into a party and take over without following constitutional stipulations on leadership succession, this is the consequence,” he said.
“This was manufactured by the same people now complaining and pointing fingers at the APC. We are not concerned about all that.”
The leadership crisis in the ADC—a coalition of opposition politicians positioning to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections—began following the resignation of Ralph Nwosu as national chairman. David Mark was subsequently ratified as chairman, a move Gombe contested, arguing that he was entitled to the position under the party’s constitution.
Gombe then approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the legality of Mark’s leadership and seeking an order to stop the NWC members from parading themselves as party leaders.
Mark’s faction appealed to the Court of Appeal on December 18, 2025, arguing that the lower court lacked jurisdiction. However, the appellate court dismissed the appeal, allowing the case to proceed at the Federal High Court.