African Democratic Congress battles INEC recognition and court rulings

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced it will recognise only the candidates submitted by the David Mark‑led faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), confirming the submission of 471 candidates for the 2027 elections. The commission rejected claims by the rival Nafiu Bala Gombe faction that it had accessed the nomination portal, labeling the alleged upload as forged and calling for the faction’s leader to be investigated and prosecuted.

The ADC is also confronting a series of legal challenges. A Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgment on appeals against a Federal High Court order that sought to deregister the ADC and four other parties for failing to meet constitutional performance thresholds. Separate appellate rulings have nullified the party’s recent national convention, raising uncertainty over its participation in the 2027 polls unless overturned by the Supreme Court. The party’s presidential candidate, former Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar, has repeatedly demanded independent investigations into the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council scandal and a controversial N6.44 billion World Cup‑qualifier budget allocation, while also condemning recent school kidnappings as evidence of governmental neglect.

These developments highlight a turbulent period for the ADC as it navigates internal factional disputes, electoral authority decisions, and broader accusations of corruption within the Tinubu administration.