ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Thursday intensified its standoff with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INE ), demanding the immediate sack of its chairman, Professor Amupitan Joash, over alleged bias in the party’s lingering leadership crisis.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the party’s National Chairman, David Mark, accused the electoral umpire of acting in bad faith and working to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC had on Wednesday delisted key figures within the party, including Mark and National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, citing a court directive ordering the commission to maintain the status quo pending the resolution of an ongoing legal dispute.
But Mark faulted the decision, insisting that the commission had misinterpreted the court order and “created a status quo that never existed,” thereby plunging the party into confusion.
According to him, the move is part of a broader plan to undermine democratic competition and impose a one-party state, warning that Nigerians would resist any attempt to erode political plurality.
READ ALSO 2027: INEC Endorses David Mark As ADC National Chairman
“The agenda is clear. To create a situation where, in 2027, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu becomes the only option left for Nigerians”, he said.
Mark maintained that the current leadership of the party emerged from a valid National Executive Committee decision held on July 29, 2025, which dissolved the previous structure and installed a new leadership duly communicated to INEC.
He explained that the crisis stems from a rival claim to leadership by Nafiu Bala, whose position, he said, became untenable following his resignation earlier in 2025.
The former Senate President accused INEC of disregarding legal principles, arguing that the Court of Appeal merely directed parties to maintain the existing situation not to nullify a duly constituted leadership.
He warned that the commission’s actions could disrupt the party’s scheduled congresses and affect its participation in upcoming elections in Osun and Ekiti states.
Despite the controversy, Mark insisted that the party would proceed with its planned activities, stressing that there is no legal requirement mandating INEC’s presence for internal party processes.
He added that the ADC had lost confidence in the commission’s neutrality, insisting that its current leadership could no longer be trusted to conduct credible elections.