There is a pushback over the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the new leadership of the coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark.

The opposition coalition comprising prominent politicians, had in July 2025, adopted the ADC as its platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

The coalition also adopted a former Senate President, David Mark and former Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, as interim national chairman and secretary respectively.

Some of the notable members of the coalition at the event held in Abuja, were former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal; former governors of Kaduna and Rivers States – Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi – and many others.

But the commission has not listed the names of the new National Working Committee (NWC) of the party including Mark and Aregbesola on its website, a development that has continued to generate debate.

The ADC NWC under the coalition are Bolaji Abdullahi (National Publicity Secretary), Babachir Lawal (Deputy National Chairman, North East), Usani Uguru Usani (Assistant National Chairman), Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor (National Legal Adviser), Barr. Chinedu Idigbo (National Organising Secretary), Sen. Musa Elayo (National Vice Chairman for Diaspora), and Cmrd. Nkem Ukandu (National Welfare Secretary), among others.

However, INEC is yet to officially recognise the new leaders and upload their names and pictures on the commission’s official website. The development has continued to worry party members and supporters, pointing to issues in the party ahead of 2027.

But reacting to the development, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, told Daily Trust that INEC was following administrative procedures, stressing that the situation would be resolved this week.

Abdullahi, a former minister, said, “What is happening is just administrative, there is actually nothing to it. We just need to send some signatures and everything will be in order.

“The delay is just administrative. It’s nothing political or anything. It’s just purely administrative and it is being resolved. The delay is just procedural and I can tell you it will be resolved this week.”

He further explained that when there is a change of leadership, there are some things that need to happen. “That is why I say it’s purely administrative and that is why I said it will be settled this week,” he said.

Also, a chieftain of the ADC told Daily Trust in confidence that the leadership of the party had engaged with INEC on the issue. He said the commission has informed the party of what it must do before its request would be granted.

“Sincerely, many people have been calling on why INEC is yet to recognise the David Mark-led leadership on their website. Many Nigerians are seriously concerned. Ordinarily, there is nothing to it, because the party has done its bit and all that was done was in the full glare of INEC officials.

“But you can understand the situation in the country; people are agitated because they want the right things done. So, the officials of the party have engaged with INEC and I think both parties have resolved on what needs to be done,” he said.

On his part, a former national chairman of the party, Dr. Ralph Nwosu, told Daily Trust that it is Nigerians and the media that are rushing INEC to update its website, saying the commission will do it at its own time.

He also explained that the leadership of any organisation is “not determined by the regulatory body, like INEC, a regulatory body of political parties. Leadership of any organisation is determined by the membership of the organisation. The ADC has already decided on its new leadership, following all recognised avenues for doing so.”

Nwosu said, “I don’t know what is happening in INEC. The commission may have a time and the process by which they upgrade their website.

“Unlike the media, which go to their website or blog every day to update happenings, INEC website managers may have been paid to go there every three months or every six months to update things that need to be updated, except when it has to do with court orders.”

He said INEC already has the documents of the ADC, saying “this organisation has submitted its leadership, and I can tell you that ADC is moving on.”

Nwosu charged Nigerians not to worry as the ADC has moved on to consolidation and putting its strategies together on how to win the next election.

He said the David Mark-led executive has decided after all the euphoria of forming the coalition, to move in and start a consolidation process. “They’ve done it for two months now, you know, working in a closed-door session.

“By the beginning of next month, which starts from this week, Nigerians will begin to see their plans and strategies. It will start to come out. We as ADC, we’ve gone through our constitutional processes and decided to get involved in a major coalition to rescue this country and we put in place a leadership that can be trusted and that has the capacity to do that.”

Backlash over Mark’s emergence

Since the formation of the coalition, the leadership has been under one form of criticism or another with crisis brewing in the party.

Observers say immediately the Mark-led executive emerged, a former presidential candidate of the ADC, Dumebi Kachikwu, kicked against it, describing David Mark as a factional national chairman of the party.

Speaking during an interactive session with journalists, Kachikwu alleged that Mark was imposed by a faction of the ADC.

Kachikwu said it is a disservice to Nigerians for Atiku, Aregbesola and Mark to front a coalition.

“It is a disservice to ordinary Nigerians and party members to refer to David Mark as the ADC party chairman. He is not. He cannot be. The people coming through the back doors cannot take over our party. We will not give up, no matter the blackmail,” he said.

Similarly, a former governorship candidate of the ADC in Gombe State, Nafiu Bala, described the takeover of the party by Mark and Aregbesola as an assault on democracy and vowed to resist it.

He accused Nwosu and other former leaders of the party of abandoning their constitutional responsibilities and handing over the party’s structure to outsiders.

Bala also announced himself as the interim national chairman of the ADC since according to him, Nwosu had resigned.

But reacting to the development, Nwosu told Daily Trust that the purported leadership crisis was the handiwork of detractors, alleging that they are working for those at the Presidential Villa “who are already in a panic mode” about the ADC.

“I would advise politicians to focus on delivering the dividends of democracy for their people and then prepare for elections instead of trying to manipulate the electorate through the back door,” he said. (Daily Trust)