African Democratic Congress Accuses INEC of Sabotaging 2027 Electoral Participation Amid Leadership Deadlock

The ADC raises an alarm over INEC’s refusal to receive party correspondence. Learn how this "legal landmine" could prevent the party from contesting the 2027 elections.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 6, 2026, 11:18 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Politics Nigeria

The Suspension of Official Communication

In a formal statement released on Monday, April 6, 2026, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of initiating a process that threatens the party’s future participation in Nigerian democracy. Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, revealed that the commission has ceased accepting all official correspondence from the party. This administrative freeze is reportedly tied to an ongoing legal dispute regarding the party's leadership currently pending before the Federal High Court.

A Direct Conflict with Electoral Deadlines

The ADC argues that INEC’s refusal to receive documents places the party in a position of "artificial non-compliance." Under the current Electoral Act, political parties are required to provide strict 21-day notices for various activities and adhere to rigorous submission deadlines. By blocking communication, the ADC contends that INEC is making it impossible for the party to meet these statutory requirements. The party specifically warned that if the leadership issue is not judicially resolved by May 10, the procedural vacuum could be used as a justification to exclude ADC candidates from the 2027 ballot.

Evidence of Prior Recognition

To bolster its claims, the ADC pointed to certified INEC records and monitoring reports from July 29, 2025. The party asserts that INEC officials were present at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting where the current leadership transition took place. According to Abdullahi, INEC’s internal records were subsequently updated to recognize a National Working Committee led by David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary. The party further cited a sworn affidavit filed by the commission in September 2025, which reportedly affirmed that the leadership transition was a completed act beyond judicial interference.