Former Senate President and National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, David Mark, on Thursday accused Nigeria’s electoral umpire of partisanship, declaring that the commission “can no longer be trusted” following its recent actions on the party’s leadership dispute.
Addressing a world press conference in Abuja, Mark said the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw recognition from the ADC leadership amounted to a direct assault on democracy and a dangerous precedent for the country’s political system.
The former Senate President argued that Nigeria’s democratic credentials, built since 1999, are under threat, alleging that the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu is systematically weakening opposition parties to pave the way for an uncontested path to power in the 2027 elections.
Mark linked the emergence of a coalition under the ADC to what he described as a “collective resistance” against an alleged clampdown on opposition voices, noting that the party’s leadership structure followed due process and was ratified at a National Executive Committee meeting monitored by INEC in July 2025.
He explained that the ADC duly communicated the outcome of that meeting to the electoral body, which subsequently uploaded the names of the new National Working Committee members, including himself and Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary.
The ADC chairman dismissed claims by a rival faction led by Nafiu Bala, insisting that the individual had earlier resigned from his position and therefore lacked the legal standing to lay claim to the party’s leadership.
He further faulted INEC’s interpretation of the Court of Appeal directive to maintain the “status quo ante bellum,” arguing that the commission acted outside its constitutional role by creating what he described as a “non-existent status quo.”
According to Mark, rather than seek judicial clarification, INEC took an administrative decision that effectively left the ADC without leadership, a move he said was both unlawful and suggestive of bias in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“There is only one conclusion Nigerians can draw,” Mark said. “The electoral umpire has taken sides. It has become complicit in undermining democracy and therefore can no longer be trusted.”
He warned that the development could jeopardise the ADC’s participation in upcoming governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states, as well as disrupt the party’s scheduled congresses and national convention later in April.
Mark also issued a direct challenge to President Tinubu, questioning why a government that controls the majority of states and the National Assembly would fear a transparent electoral contest if it truly enjoyed public support.
The ADC leader called for the immediate resignation or removal of INEC’s leadership, insisting that the current commissioners lack the credibility to conduct free and fair elections, while urging Nigerians and the international community to remain vigilant against what he termed an emerging threat to democratic governance.
