The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has vowed to press ahead with its planned congresses and national convention, disregarding the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) position amid an ongoing leadership crisis.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, ADC chieftain Ralph Nwosu said the party would not allow INEC to disrupt its preparations for the 2027 general elections.
“We are taking the necessary legal action and engaging INEC, but we will not allow the commission to derail any of our programmes,” Nwosu stated. “After that malicious INEC release, our chairman and the rest of us resolved to move ahead.”
The ADC has been fractured by a leadership dispute, prompting INEC to withdraw recognition from certain party officials pending a court ruling. Nevertheless, Nwosu insisted the party has met all legal requirements regarding its internal processes.
“We submitted our programme to INEC in line with the law, and they endorsed all the dates. Whether they show up or not is their choice; we have violated nothing,” he said.
Nwosu confirmed that congresses have already commenced and that the national convention scheduled for the 14th will proceed as planned. “We will validate everything we have done. We do not want opportunists in the ADC—only mission-driven leaders with the courage to challenge a bad system.”
The party will continue to notify INEC of its activities, including candidate selection for the next election cycle. “If they do not accept it, we will publish it to all Nigerian media, because they represent the people,” Nwosu added.
