The ADC says that by declining to obtain its communications, the Fee is making it not possible for the get together to fulfill key authorized necessities, together with discover durations and submission deadlines, forward of the Might 10 cut-off.
In a press release by its Nationwide Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the get together stated accessible data present that INEC had beforehand monitored, documented and recognised its management, making its present stance troublesome to reconcile.
“We’re compelled to lift severe considerations a couple of growing scenario that seems designed to forestall the African Democratic Congress (ADC) from fielding candidates within the upcoming elections.
“It’s primarily based on documentary proof which we at the moment are inserting earlier than the Nigerian public, together with licensed INEC data, attendance logs, monitoring experiences, and excerpts from the Fee’s personal sworn affidavit. Taken collectively, these paperwork set up a transparent and constant document of occasions,” the get together acknowledged.
The ADC additionally stated INEC was formally notified of its July 29, 2025, Nationwide Government Committee (NEC) assembly, attended in an official capability, and later up to date its data to replicate a brand new management led by Senator David Mark as Nationwide Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as Nationwide Secretary.
“These usually are not claims. They’re details contained in INEC’s personal data.
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“But, regardless of this clear documentary path, INEC has now taken the place that it’s going to not obtain any correspondence from the ADC pending the dedication of a matter earlier than the Federal Excessive Court docket. That is the place the contradiction turns into harmful.
“The Electoral Act imposes strict timelines on political events, together with the 21-day discover requirement and submission deadlines. INEC itself has fastened Might 10 because the deadline for the submission of related paperwork. Nevertheless, by refusing to obtain communication from the ADC inside this similar interval, the Fee is successfully stopping the get together from complying with the legislation.
“In easy phrases, INEC is successfully threatening that until the courts ship judgement on the ADC management challenge by Might 10, it should stop the ADC from producing candidates,” it stated.
The get together warned that this leaves it with no actual choices, creating what it described as a path to “synthetic non-compliance” that would later be used to justify excluding it from the elections.
“This locations the ADC in an not possible place and creates a transparent pathway to synthetic non-compliance, which may then be used to justify excluding the get together from fielding candidates. That’s the landmine.
“We subsequently name on the Fee to right away reverse this place, resume the acceptance of all lawful correspondence from the ADC, and uphold its constitutional accountability to make sure a degree enjoying subject for all political events.
“We additionally name on Nigerians to stay vigilant and cautious of what we contemplate harmful machinations to subvert Nigeria’s democracy and impose a civilian dictatorship on the nation,” the ADC stated.