INEC confirms David Mark-Led ADC leadership as sole authority to submit candidates

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has indicated that it will only recognise the candidates presented by the leadership of Senator David Mark’s African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the party leaders, noting that the group has already nominated candidates for 471 elected positions before 2027 general election.

Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner, revealed that it gave the Mark’s leadership of the party access to the candidate nomination platform due to a Supreme Court ruling confirming its leadership of the party.

“We gave the Mark-led faction the access code based on the recent Supreme Court judgment affirming its leadership. The faction has since submitted candidates for 471 positions, comprising two presidential candidates, 109 senatorial candidates and 360 House of Representatives candidates.

“The court did not direct us to accept any submissions from the rival faction, which had already lost its appeal for recognition,” Haruna said.

The clarification came amid renewed controversy over the ADC’s leadership following Monday’s Court of Appeal judgment on the party’s state congresses.

Reacting to INEC’s position, the ADC called for the investigation and prosecution of its factional leader, Nafiu Bala Gombe, over claims that he uploaded the party’s candidates to the commission’s nomination portal.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party welcomed INEC’s clarification that Bala neither received access codes nor uploaded candidates on behalf of the ADC.

The party described Bala’s claims as false and misleading.

“The issue has gone beyond political disagreement. It now involves an apparent attempt to deceive the Nigerian public.

“To falsely claim access to INEC’s restricted nomination portal and suggest that one exercised powers reserved for recognised party officials is a serious matter that deserves immediate investigation,” the statement read.

The ADC urged INEC and relevant security agencies to investigate and prosecute anyone connected with what it described as the false claims.

The party’s reaction followed an earlier allegation by the Media Office of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that INEC had granted Bala access to its nomination portal, an allegation the electoral body has since denied.

On the Court of Appeal judgment delivered on Monday, Haruna said the commission would reserve its position until it obtained and studied the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment.

“We cannot comment until we receive the judgment. Once we study its contents, the commission will take an official position,” he said.

The appellate court had upheld an earlier Federal High Court judgment restraining INEC from recognising state congresses conducted by committees appointed by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the ADC.

The decision arose from a suit filed by seven aggrieved ADC state chairmen, who challenged the dissolution of the party’s state executives and the appointment of caretaker committees to conduct congresses.

Both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal held that the dissolution of the state executives violated the ADC constitution because their tenure had not expired.

However, the judgment relates specifically to the conduct of state congresses and does not affect the party’s direct primaries or the nomination of candidates for elective offices.

The ADC maintained that its candidates emerged through valid direct primaries and that the Court of Appeal ruling has no effect on their nominations for the 2027 general elections.