The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday confirmed receipt of a petition submitted by the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), amid ongoing disputes over the party’s national leadership and recognition.
The petition was submitted by the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, and received at INEC headquarters by National Commissioner, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru. However, the content of the petition has not yet been made public.
The development comes as the ADC continues to intensify calls for the removal of INEC Chairperson, Prof. Joash Amupitan, accusing him of misinterpreting a Court of Appeal ruling relating to the party’s leadership crisis.
In recent weeks, the ADC has been embroiled in a deep internal dispute involving rival factions laying claim to the party’s national structure.
Earlier today First Daily reported that, the party’s leadership had also staged a peaceful protest in Abuja, marching from Maitama Junction to the INEC headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory.
The protest was reportedly led by prominent political figures including Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Peter Obi, who were presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and Labour Party (LP) respectively in the 2023 general election, which was won by President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Other notable figures present at the protest included former Senate President David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, Rotimi Amaechi, and former Senator Dino Melaye.
The demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions such as “Tinubu, Let Our Democracy Breathe,” “Falle Daya Ce, One Term President,” and “I Stand With ADC, I Stand With Democracy,” calling attention to their grievances against INEC and concerns over Nigeria’s democratic process.
The opposition party has repeatedly accused the electoral body of favouring the ruling APC and allegedly working to limit its ability to field candidates in the 2027 general elections.
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The crisis within the ADC stems from a prolonged leadership tussle following the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu.
Rival factions led by Nafiu Bala and David Mark have both laid claim to the party’s leadership, with disagreements escalating into court proceedings.
INEC had earlier suspended recognition of the ADC leadership, citing compliance with a Court of Appeal ruling which ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive case at the Federal High Court.
The commission explained that its decision was to avoid actions that could undermine ongoing judicial proceedings.
In response, the Mark-led faction accused INEC of misinterpreting the court ruling and called for the resignation of the electoral commission’s leadership.
Meanwhile, another faction aligned with the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, has backed INEC’s position, insisting that the commission acted within legal bounds by refusing to recognise disputed leadership structures.
As legal battles continue, the ADC leadership crisis remains unresolved, with the outcome of ongoing court cases expected to determine the party’s future direction ahead of the 2027 general elections.