Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission is taking steps that could weaken the integrity of the 2027 general elections, following the commission’s stance on the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress.
The concerns arose after INEC removed the names of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from its official portal as the ADC’s National Chairman and National Secretary.
The commission also declined to recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is seeking judicial affirmation as national chairman.
In addition, INEC announced a suspension of recognition for all factions within the party. It stated that it would not monitor any conventions or congresses organised by the rival groups until a substantive case before the Federal High Court is resolved.
Responding via a post on 𝕏, Effiong questioned the origin of the dispute. He noted that members of the ADC executive had stepped down to allow a new leadership structure led by Mark and Aregbesola, a move later endorsed by the party’s National Executive Committee.
He argued that leadership disagreements within political parties have historically been treated as internal matters, expressing concern over what he described as growing judicial involvement in such issues.
Effiong also referenced a directive from the Court of Appeal instructing parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum, raising questions about whether this implies a leadership vacuum in the ADC pending the court’s final decision.
Effiong further queried INEC’s role in the situation, suggesting that the commission should clarify its position to Nigerians, particularly regarding the possibility of President Bola Tinubu running unopposed in 2027.
He wrote, “The ADC is not my cup of tea, but there is now reasonable basis to infer existence of a well orchestrated sinister conspiracy to truncate contested and credible elections in 2027.
“From what is publicly available, all the Executives of the ADC resigned to allow David Mark and Aregbesola to emerge as the National Chairman and the National Secretary respectively.
“The man who took the case to the court, Nafiu Gombe, claims that he did not resign as Deputy National Chairman, and that he ought to have automatically assumed the position of National Chairman “in line with the Party’s Constitution”. Interestingly, the ADC held a National Executive Committee where the party ratified its new leadership led by Mark.
“So, what’s the controversy here? Is dispute over the leadership of a political party no longer the internal affairs of the political party? It used to be the law that issues of political party leadership is non justiciable, or forum domesticum.
“A Party’s NEC has the authority to decide who should lead the party. If the ADC says they want another person to assume that role instead of the Deputy National Chairman, can the Court compel the same Party to submit to its Deputy? Is this dispute justiciable?
“Also, the Court of Appeal said the parties should maintain status quo ante bellum. This means the state of affairs before the suit before the Federal High Court was filed by the Claimant. Before the suit, who was the Chairman of the Party?
“Was it not David Mark? Is this INEC saying that the Order of the Court of Appeal implies that there should be leadership vacuum in the ADC until the case is determined by the Federal High Court?
“Whose script is this INEC playing? It seems that the ruling party, which prides itself as having over thirty governors in its fold, is so scared of a fair contestation. If it is the desire of INEC for Bola Tinubu to contest as a sole candidate – unopposed, in 2027, let the Commission say so publicly. It will save the country the billions of Naira budgeted for the ‘presidential election’.”
