ADC has accused INEC of bias and violating law in ongoing party leadership crisis.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of violating the law and allegedly taking sides in the party’s ongoing leadership dispute.
This Nigeria news platform understands that ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the allegation on Thursday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he questioned the electoral body’s role in the internal crisis within the party.
Abdullahi argued that a former party official, Nafiu Bala Gombe, no longer had the legal authority to act on behalf of the party, insisting that his tenure ended after he resigned and the executive committee he belonged to was dissolved.
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He maintained that the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which he described as the highest decision-making body after the convention, had already taken binding decisions regarding the leadership structure of the party.
According to him, INEC’s actions suggested that the commission was recognising moves by Bala despite being aware of his resignation, a development he claimed amounted to taking sides in the dispute.
The ADC spokesperson further alleged that the electoral body had disregarded a subsisting directive of the Court of Appeal to maintain the status quo, describing the commission’s conduct as contemptuous of the court.
The remarks come after INEC removed the names of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and National Secretary of the ADC from its official portal.
The commission also announced that it would not recognise Bala, who is seeking to be declared national chairman through the courts, and stated that recognition of all factions within the party had been suspended pending the outcome of a substantive suit before the Federal High Court.
Abdullahi insisted that Bala ceased to be an official of the party as of July 17, adding that INEC had been duly notified of his resignation earlier in August. He argued that recognising any action taken by the former official undermines the party’s internal processes and contradicts existing court directives.
The ADC spokesperson warned that such actions could escalate tensions within the party and called on INEC to respect the autonomy of political parties and comply with court rulings while the leadership dispute is resolved through the legal process.
