The African Democratic Congress has dismissed the Independent National Electoral Commission's decision to remove David Mark as national chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary. Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC's national publicity secretary, said in a statement on Wednesday night that INEC acted under pressure from the government, alleging that the commission had bowed to a ruling party anxious about growing opposition strength. The party described INEC's interpretation of the Court of Appeal judgment of March 12, 2026, as contradictory and unreasonable. It rejected the commission's conclusion that the leadership positions should be vacated, accusing INEC of siding with the All Progressives Congress. The ADC stated it is reviewing its legal options and urged members to remain united. INEC, in a separate statement released April 1, 2026, announced it had removed Mark, Aregbesola, and Nafiu Bala Gombe, chairman of a rival faction, following its review of Appeal No. CA/ABJ/145/2026. The commission said it would erase all factional executives from its records and no longer recognise any individual as an ADC leader until the Federal High Court in Abuja delivers a final judgment.
INEC's sudden alignment with a single interpretation of a court ruling, after months of inaction, raises clear questions about its independence. The timing of the decision—after David Mark's faction had consolidated control—suggests the commission is no longer a neutral arbiter but a tool shaped by political currents. For Nigerian voters, this means party structures can be reshaped not by members, but by bureaucratic decrees cloaked in judicial language. The ADC's protest won't change that reality.
