The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed a report that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has validated and released a list of the party’s state chairmen across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In a message made on Sunday by the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, on his official X account, the ADC national leadership stated that INEC has not issued such a confirmation, either officially or privately.
Abdullahi referred to the claim as “fake news” designed to cause uncertainty inside the party.
He emphasized that the approval of state leadership is an internal party process controlled by the constitution.
Abdullahi added that INEC will only accept submissions made through the proper channels after thorough diligence.
He said, “The attention of the national leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been drawn to a widely circulated statement titled ‘Coalition Update: INEC Confirms ADC State Chairmen Nationwide,’ which purports that the Independent National Electoral Commission has released and validated a list of State Party Chairmen for the ADC across the country.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission, to the best of our knowledge and verification, has issued no such confirmation, neither officially nor unofficially.
“INEC only recognizes what the party submits through the appropriate channels after due process. As of today, no such comprehensive list has been submitted or confirmed by INEC.”
The spokesman underlined the party’s commitment to internal democracy and discipline, encouraging stakeholders to be wary of misinformation.
This comes as the party is settling internal difficulties, including a leadership dispute, following INEC’s recent recognition of former Senate President David Mark as the ADC national chairman.
Recently, the court summoned Mark and the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, over disagreements over the party’s leadership changes.
However, ADC has refuted accusations of a court injunction preventing INEC from recognizing the Mark-led faction, dismissing such stories as “desperate political jobbers.”
