.Backs INEC on derecognition of party leaders
.As PDP demands electoral umpire come clean with Wike’s alleged land, cash gifts to its officials
COSMAS CHUKWU and CYRIL MBAH, Abuja
A new twist in the crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress, as another faction has emerged rejecting both the David Mark-led National Working Committee and Nafiu Bala’s claim of leadership.
This came as the state chairmen of the party announced a definite stand.
They made their position known in Abuja on Tuesday, during which they backed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for derecognizing David Mark-led leadership.
Abia State ADC Chairman, Don Norman Obinna, addressed journalists on behalf of his colleagues.
He said the party dissociates itself from the David Mark or Nafiu Bala Gombe factions of the APC.
According to him, the decision was reached on Tuesday after a National Executive Committee meeting held in Abuja.
Obinna, flanked by other state chairmen, said, “We are in total support of INEC in derecognizing the David Mark-led faction.”
He said ADC leadership under its 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, is legal and authentic.
“ADC has no faction; we are the legal leadership,” he declared.
It was gathered that the development has further complicated the crisis rocking the opposition party.
This comes after INEC last week delisted the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC.
The dispute stems from a power struggle within the party, with Vice National Chairman Nafiu Bala Gombe challenging the leadership transition and declaring himself acting chairman. With both factions at odds and the court yet to decide, the party is currently left without a recognised leadership ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, David Mark-led leadership had kicked against INEC, describing the move as an effort to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
David Mark-led ADC announced that it would continue with its congresses and convention scheduled for 7th to 14th April 2026.
The commission said it will no longer engage with either faction, nor monitor any meetings, congresses, or conventions of the two groups until the matter at the Federal High Court is decided.
A statement signed by the Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Kudu, also noted that the commission will no longer engage with either faction, nor monitor any meetings, congresses, or conventions of the two groups until the matter at the Federal High Court is decided.
The commission further announced that it would remove the names of David Mark from the INEC portal.
Rafiu Bala, who was the vice chairman of the ADC before the David Mark-led caretaker committee assumed control of the party, approached the courts to challenge the emergence of David Mark and his colleagues at the National Working Committee.
The opposition coalition had, in 2025, adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a political platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
This was followed by the former national chairman of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, formally handing over the party’s membership card to former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who assumed the roles of interim national chairman and national secretary, respectively.
The resignation of the Ralph Nwosu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the ADC in July 2025 gave rise to the David Mark-led NWC.
However, Nafiu Bala Gombe, the Vice-National Chairman, claimed that following the chairman’s resignation, he automatically ought to take over as chairman.
Bala Gombe instituted Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 on September 2, 2025, seeking an ex parte injunction restraining Senator David Mark’s group from parading themselves as the leadership of the party.
The motion was heard on September 4, 2025, and the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, directed that the respondents be put on notice.
The second defendant, Senator David Mark, appealed the order on December 18, 2025.
However, on March 12, 2026, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed the appeal.
Following the ruling, INEC said the situation influenced its decision to maintain the status quo ante bellum, based on the facts existing prior to September 2, 2025, when the case was originally filed.
.As PDP demands electoral umpire come clean about Wike’s alleged land, cash gifts to its officials
In another development, The PDP has demanded that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must come clean on allegations of land and cash gifts given to its senior staff by Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The party said that it finds the news about the gifts very disturbing and worrisome, suggesting a possible institutional capture of the INEC by the minister.
National Publicity Secretary of Turaki-led PDP, Comrade Ini Ememobong Essien, on Tuesday in a statement, stated that the allegations involved Alhaji Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Supervising National Commissioner for the FCT, who admitted to receiving a land gift from the FCT minister before the recently concluded area council elections.
The PDP questioned why land gifts are given to officials in agencies critical to elections in a manner that appeared suspicious, while requests for land by other civil servants in development sectors are overlooked or totally ignored.
The party said it suspected that the land gifts were part of an official strategy to influence the election process and demanded that INEC’s National Chairman should clarify the allegations, including whether he himself was a beneficiary.
The PDP emphasised that “the timing of the allegations deepens public distrust in INEC, an electoral umpire with a legacy of stained credibility.”
It urged the Commission to prioritise transparency and inform the public of the true situation, pointing out that the allegations have further eroded public trust in the agency.
“INEC is reminded to strive to be above board by ensuring transparency and impartiality in its words and actions. The PDP awaits INEC’s response to the negative allegations making the rounds.
“The allegations have raised concerns about the integrity of the election process. The PDP’s demand for clarity aims to restore public trust in INEC.”
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong Essien, who signed the statement, emphasised the need for INEC to come clean, saying the party’s demand was a call for accountability.
INEC’s response will be crucial in determining its credibility, the statement said, adding that the Commission must address the allegations and demonstrate its commitment to transparency.
The PDP’s statement highlights the importance of impartiality in the election process, and the party’s demand for clarity is a step towards ensuring fair play.
The outcome of this situation will impact public perception of INEC’s credibility, and the Commission must act swiftly to address the allegations and restore public trust it its neutrality.
The statement wondered why the Commission has not reacted to the allegations since last week when the news media became awash with stories of the “Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, offering land and cash gifts to senior staff of the Commission. Later, another news item surfaced wherein Mohammed Kudu Haruna, who is the Supervising National Commissioner for the FCT, was quoted to have admitted to receiving the land gift.
“This news is very disturbing and worrisome and seems to connect the dots in the land-for-favour scenario currently being widely speculated as the strategy for institutional capture by the Minister.
“It is curious that these land gifts are given to officials in agencies critical to elections, whereas there are other officials in critical development sectors, like healthcare professionals, teachers, and even security officials, whose duties demand that they live in the capital city. “We have not heard of any land allocation to these people, obviously, because they are not directly related to the election process.
“We hereby demand that the National Chairman of INEC comes clean on these allegations against his top officials and even himself, as he has also been alleged to be a beneficiary.
“These stories, at a time like this, deepen the erosion of public trust in an electoral umpire with a legacy of stained credibility. Therefore, the Commission should, as a matter of urgency and priority, inform the public of the true situation regarding this matter,” the statement concluded.
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