The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged a plot by powerful figures within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilise the party and position President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the sole contender in the 2027 general election.
In a statement, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the APC was allegedly scheming to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into recognising Nafiu Bala Gombe as the ADC national chairman.
According to the party, the move is part of a broader effort to undermine the ADC, seize control of its leadership, and prevent competitive democracy, leaving President Tinubu as the only serious option on the ballot.
“Mark emerged the ADC national chairman last July after the party positioned itself as the opposition coalition for the next general election. Shortly after, Gombe began claiming leadership,” the statement said, referring to Senator David Mark.
The ADC emphasised that the combined meeting of its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC), witnessed by INEC officials in July 2025, had formally transferred leadership to the Mark-Aregbesola coalition. INEC officially recognised this leadership in September 2025.
“The APC’s alleged interference is aimed at manufacturing confusion, sponsoring illegitimate leadership claims, and crippling the only credible opposition platform Nigerians are increasingly relying on,” the party said.
The statement further noted that a Federal High Court recently dismissed a challenge to Mark’s leadership, upholding the Supreme Court’s ruling that internal party leadership is an exclusively internal matter.
ADC vowed to resist any attempts by “anti-democratic forces” to manipulate the party or subvert Nigeria’s democratic process. “Nigeria’s democracy cannot thrive where the ruling party seeks to capture or manufacture opposition parties for its own political convenience,” it said, describing the alleged plot as a “dangerous assault on democratic pluralism.”