The Independent National Electoral Commission officially recognized the new leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), two months after opposition parties adopted the party as their platform for the 2027 general elections.
Senator David B. Mark is identified as the National Chairman in INEC’s record, with former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola as the National Secretary. Other officers include Dr. Mani Ibrahim Ahmad as Treasurer, Akibu Dalhatu as Financial Secretary, and Prof. Oserhiemen Aigberaodion Osunbor as Legal Adviser.
This recognition came as part of an outcome from a meeting held on July 2, when several opposition parties resolved to challenge the All Progressives Congress (the ruling party) at the 2027 general elections via the ADC platform.
At that meeting, David Mark and Aregbesola were announced as the new interim leaders by the coalition, replacing Ralph Nwosu and Alhaji Sai’d Baba Abdullahi who were the initial interim leaders. Following this meeting, the ADC National Executive Committee held a meeting on July 30 and ratified the resolution to replace those in the National Working Committee, dissolved the Committee, and declared a caretaker leadership team.
Not all coalition members have sanctioned this transition. Dumebi Kachikwu who was the ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate and Leke Abejide, the ADC’s only member of federal parliament, have both rejected the new leadership. There are other concerns too, with a former governorship candidate in Gombe, Nafiu Bala, declaring himself the chairman of a faction.
At the time of the press release, spokesperson for the ADC party, Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed these claims, stating that all the sub-executives had resigned to allow the coalition-backed leadership to emerge. He stated that the decisions made by the National Executive Committee, and their supporting documents, satisfied INEC’s legal processes. He said that the commission’s recognition of the ADC has helped alleviate fears reiterated by its members that the recognition would suffer undue delay or political interference.
In Kogi State, there are also concerns. A group, Concerned Members of ADC, has accused powerful interests of illegally hijacking the party. The group insisted that Leke Abejide is still the state leader and warned security agencies against validating meetings of rival factions led by the former leaders.
With INEC’s recognition now in place, the ADC under Senator David B. Mark faces the challenge of unifying its party membership. Whether the ADC can unite its ranks will determine its strength as it continues to prepare itself for the 2027 general elections.
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