The Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) has urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to resolve its internal leadership crisis through administrative channels rather than public confrontation. In a statement, PAACA's Executive Director, Ezenwa Nwagwu, warned that efforts to depict the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as biased could damage public confidence in democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections. He attributed the escalation to the ADC's failure to use internal dispute resolution mechanisms, contrasting it with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which previously engaged INEC administratively to settle similar issues. Nwagwu noted there is no evidence that ADC leader David Mark has met with INEC to address the dispute, despite available channels for mediation.
Nwagwu stressed that opposition status does not exempt parties from due process, calling for stronger internal governance and transparency in handling disagreements. He acknowledged that political parties often seek public sympathy but insisted that institutions must be engaged constructively. According to him, INEC is in a delicate position, bound by court orders it did not initiate, and must navigate legal interpretations carefully. PAACA urged civil society and the media to remain objective and avoid premature alignment in the dispute.
