Political Dispute Between INEC and ADC over Alteration of Party Leadership Direction
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) finds itself in the midst of a leadership dispute with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The crisis began in July, following the resignation of the former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
The dispute arose due to the ADC's attempt to change its leadership, a move that INEC requires detailed documentation, including formally documented resolutions, verified signatures from authorised officials, and adherence to the party's constitutional procedures, before recognising any leadership change.
However, it was reported that the delay in recognition of the ADC's leadership change was due to administrative issues, not political ones. The official communication regarding the change in ADC leadership was sent by the authorised party, and the documentation was accurately provided with the required information.
Despite this, as of Saturday, INEC's website still listed the former leaders in their respective positions. Bolaji Abdullahi, the Publicity Secretary of the ADC, stated that the issue had been resolved, and the Mark-led leadership would be officially recognised soon.
The former leaders handed over power to Mark in the presence of INEC officials, but not all members accepted the transition. Bala subsequently declared himself interim National Chairman.
The ADC has also raised an alarm over suspicious INEC's first PVC pre-registration report. Insiders in the ADC stated that necessary corrections have been made, but delays in recognition by INEC persist. According to an insider, the delay in recognition is not INEC's fault, as the report was not properly signed by all officials.
The ADC has new executives, with David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary. However, the ADC's former chairman and secretary, Nwosu and Abdullahi, were the only ones who signed the report of the 99th NEC meeting, whereas the new chairman and secretary, Mark and Aregbesola, were not included.
INEC has stated that the ADC has not met the requirements necessary for recognition of the new leadership. Yar'adua, a prominent ADC member, stated that the ADC has communicated all changes to INEC, but the commission has not yet recognised the Mark-led executive.
Furthermore, the ADC has experienced a fresh crisis, as a faction has rejected Bolaji Abdullahi as the party's spokesperson. Nafiu Bala, a former ADC governorship candidate, accused the former leaders of abandoning their constitutional responsibilities and surrendering control to outsiders.
The ADC's leadership dispute with INEC continues, with both parties working towards a resolution that adheres to the party's constitutional procedures and INEC's requirements.
