The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has vowed to employ every legitimate means to resist plots by anti-democratic forces within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to end competitive democracy in Nigeria.
The party, in a statement issued yestetday in Abuja, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused powerful figures within the ruling APC of plotting to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Nafi’u Bala Gombe, an expelled member of the party, as ADC National Chairman.
The ADC described the move as part of the elaborate plot by the ruling party to ensure that President Tinubu emerges unopposed as the only serious contender on the ballot in 2027. It further described the move as a calculated attempt by elements within the ruling establishment to manufacture confusion within the ADC and weaken the only viable opposition platform left in the country.
The party said there is no legal basis for any confusion, as its leadership remains firmly under Senator David Mark following a combined meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) witnessed by INEC officials in July 2025.
The ADC called on the general public, party members and democratic institutions to disregard the activities and claims of Nafiu Bala Gombe and those backing his “illegitimate adventure”, stating that: “We know them and their game plans and we will resist them by all means necessary. We will defend our democracy”.
“Nigeria’s democracy cannot thrive where the ruling party seeks to capture, infiltrate, or manufacture opposition parties for its own political convenience and survival. Such actions represent a dangerous assault on democratic pluralism and the constitutional right of Nigerians to freely organise and support credible political alternatives….
“The ADC remains united, focused, and committed to building a strong democratic alternative for Nigerians. No amount of intimidation, infiltration, or political engineering will derail this mission”, the statement further read in part.
Recall that on Saturday, the ADC had said the Court of Appeal ruling in the ongoing leadership dispute within the party effectively left its current leadership intact, urging members and the public to disregard misleading interpretations of the judgment. In a statement, signed by its spokesman, the party explained that the appellate court dismissed the appeal on procedural grounds and did not issue any order affecting the positions of Senator David Mark as National Chairman and Razuf Aregbesola as National Secretary.
The party, therefore, reassured members that its national leadership remained fully in place.
