Nigeria's ADC warns of APC exodus after court ruling and protests ICPC detention of El‑Rufai

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said a Federal High Court decision that nullified parts of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) timetable for political parties could trigger a wave of defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi called the ruling “a welcome vindication of our position” and argued that removing the timelines removes restrictions that previously discouraged politicians from leaving the APC, potentially opening the political space for a mass exodus.

Separately, the ADC accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of preventing its senior leaders from visiting detained former Kaduna State governor Nasir El‑Rufai. The party claimed it had formally requested access but was denied “without any reasonable explanation,” and that three truckloads of armed police were deployed to the ICPC headquarters in Abuja, creating a tense atmosphere. The ADC said the heavy security presence was unnecessary and amounted to intimidation of opposition figures.