A storm is gathering at the intersection of law, procedure, and politics, as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accuses the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of erecting quiet but potent barriers capable of shutting the party out of the forthcoming 2027 elections.
What appears, on the surface, to be a routine administrative decision is, in the ADC’s telling, a calculated chokehold — one that exploits the unforgiving timelines of the Electoral Act (2026) while simultaneously denying the party the very access needed to comply with those timelines, reports Daily Independent.
In a statement today in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party laid out what it described as a trail of official contradictions, warning that the consequences could be nothing short of political exclusion.
This is even as INEC’s position that it will suspend receiving correspondence from the ADC pending the resolution of a case before the Federal High Court.
The Commission frames the move as procedural caution. The ADC sees something far more consequential.
The party argues that this stance collides directly with statutory deadlines, particularly the mandatory 21-day notice period and submission requirements that govern political party activities ahead of elections. With May 10 already fixed by INEC as the cutoff for submissions, the ADC insists the commission’s refusal to engage effectively shuts the door on compliance.
The statement reads: “We are compelled to raise serious concerns about a developing situation that appears designed to prevent the African Democratic Congress (ADC) from fielding candidates in the upcoming elections.
“It is based on documentary evidence which we are now placing before the Nigerian public, including certified INEC records, attendance logs, monitoring reports, and excerpts from the Commission’s own sworn affidavit.
“Taken together, these documents establish a clear and consistent record of events.”
It further noted that “INEC received formal notice of the July 29, 2025 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the ADC.”
It stated that “it deployed officials to monitor that meeting. It documented the proceedings and received formal reports from its field officers. Following this, INEC updated its internal records and uploaded the names of the new leadership, including Senator David Mark as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary. These are not claims. They are facts contained in INEC’s own records.
“In addition, the Commission’s sworn affidavit before the Federal High Court, in its response to Nafiu Bala Gombe on September 12, 2025, particularly in Clauses 14 to 19, affirms key legal principles: that the leadership transition had already been completed and recognized, that such internal party matters fall outside the scope of judicial interference, that completed acts cannot be reversed by injunction, and also recognizes the David Mark-led NWC.”
It added that “yet, despite this clear documentary trail, INEC has now taken the position that it will no longer receive any correspondence from the ADC pending the determination of a matter before the Federal High Court. This is where the contradiction becomes dangerous.
“The Electoral Act imposes strict timelines on political parties, including the 21-day notice requirement and submission deadlines. INEC itself has fixed May 10 as the deadline for the submission of relevant documents.
“However, by refusing to receive communication from the ADC within this same period, the Commission is effectively preventing the Party from complying with the law.
“In simple terms, INEC is effectively threatening that unless the courts deliver judgment on the ADC leadership issue by May 10, it will prevent the ADC from producing candidates.
“This places the ADC in an impossible position and creates a clear pathway to artificial non-compliance, which can then be used to justify excluding the Party from fielding candidates. That is the landmine.”
INEC has claimed that its April 1 decision was taken to avoid rendering the proceedings before the Federal High Court nugatory. The reality is the opposite.
By intervening in a matter already before the court and issuing a pronouncement with clear legal and operational consequences, the Commission has itself undermined the very process it claims to protect.
It noted that what is even more concerning is that this position contradicts INEC’s own prior conduct and legal stance. The same Commission that monitored, documented, recognized, and swore to an affidavit confirming the ADC leadership is now acting in a way that contradicts its earlier position.
It said: “We therefore call on the Commission to immediately reverse this position, resume the acceptance of all lawful correspondence from the ADC, and uphold its constitutional responsibility to ensure a level playing field for all political parties.
“We also call on Nigerians to be wary and remain vigilant about these dangerous machinations to subvert Nigeria’s democracy and impose a civilian dictatorship on the country.”
