• Mark-led faction sues INEC over removal of leaders’ names
• Party chieftain alleges plots to jeopardise congresses, shifts Enugu’s
• CSOs, youths urge parties to fix internal rifts

House of Representatives member, Leke Abejide, yesterday, led members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on a peaceful protest to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, demanding the recognition of Nafiu Bala as the party’s National Chairman.

A faction of the party led by Senator David Mark has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking orders compelling INEC to reverse its decision to delete the party’s top officials from its records.

However, a member of the National Working Committee (NWC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has alleged internal and external threats to jeopardise the congresses and integrity of the party.

This was as leaders of civil society and youth organisations expressed strong support for INEC, calling on political parties to settle their internal disagreements and avoid diverting the commission’s attention as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.

Yesterday’s protest, which featured Bala and Abejide, also called for the immediate upload of Bala’s name on INEC’s portal ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Addressing supporters during the rally, Bala insisted that his demand was backed by a subsisting Court of Appeal order, urging the electoral body to uphold the rule of law.

Bala said: “As I address you today, I urge INEC to place my name on its portal in line with the status quo ante bellum order of the Court of Appeal. This is not just a personal request, but a plea for justice, accountability and adherence to the rule of law.”

On his part, Abejide urged INEC to resist any attempt to hijack the party, insisting that the ADC constitution clearly outlined eligibility criteria for leadership positions.

He said: “We are here to urge INEC to do the right thing and rescue democracy from the hands of usurpers. How do you come to a party and attempt to hijack leadership on the same day? The constitution is clear, one must be an active member for at least two years before aspiring to any position,” he said.

In response, INEC said it would review the request presented by the protesting group.

Speaking on behalf of the commission, National Commissioner (North-West), Abdullahi Zuru, assured that the matter would be considered.

THE suit by Mark’s group, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, follows the removal of the names of Mark, listed as National Chairman, and Rauf Aregbesola, National Secretary, from INEC’s official portal on April 1.

In a motion on notice dated April 7, the embattled chairman, through his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), prayed the court to issue a mandatory injunction directing the electoral body to immediately restore the names of the party’s NWC members as they existed before the dispute.

The application, brought pursuant to Order 26 Rules 1 to 4 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, as well as under the court’s inherent and equitable jurisdiction, seeks three principal reliefs.

The senior advocate further submitted that INEC acted in error, misinterpreting the appellate court’s directive, by removing the names of the party’s leadership, thereby creating, he said, a vacuum within the party’s structure.

IN Enugu, Okonkwo was particular about the conduct of certain members of the party whom he described as “moles, working in concert with the All Progressives Congress (APC)” to destabilise the party and thwart its scheduled congresses in the state.

Speaking to journalists in the Coal City, he narrated how a former governor in the state and a member of the NWC of the party had been procured to ensure a crisis in the state.

He stated that while the former governor summoned a meeting in his residence in Enugu, where he told members to support the APC-led administration in the state, the NWC member had written three different letters in less than 48 hours, announcing different names as congress committee members in the state.

Okonkwo, who stated that, as an indigene of the state, he would not allow irregularities or unconstitutionality in the conduct of the party’s affairs, added that the “confusion” had affected the planned congress in the state.

He, however, assured that there was no faction in the ADC, stressing that what was obtainable were moles working for the ruling party.

Enugu ADC, he noted, is solidly behind the leadership of David Mark as the national chairman.

He said: “I believe INEC as a commission will look into this and revert.”
AT the headquarters of INEC yesterday, during a solidarity visit and follow-up engagement, the Executive Director of the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN), Blessing Akinlosotu, said the council’s decision to stand with the electoral body was informed by concerns that the recurring protests at its premises had become needless distractions.

He stressed that such actions risk undermining the commission’s ability to focus on its constitutional responsibilities, particularly as preparations for future elections intensify.

Akinlosotu further noted that while citizens and political actors have the right to express grievances, such concerns should be channelled through appropriate and constructive mechanisms rather than public demonstrations that could disrupt institutional processes.

He urged political parties and stakeholders to prioritise internal conflict resolution and engage relevant platforms for dialogue, adding that sustained pressure on INEC over issues beyond its direct control could erode public confidence in the electoral system.

President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Babangida Isah, said Nigerian youths would not allow INEC to be dragged into partisan politics.

“We are here to stand as the voice of the voiceless, who are the majority of the youth constituency,” Isah said. “Political matters should be separated from INEC’s activities. INEC is an independent body. If you have a problem, if you have an internal crisis, sort it out and leave INEC alone. Since his appointment, the INEC chairman has been doing wonderfully, working to strengthen our democracy.”