In another twist of events, a former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has defended the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw recognition of the party’s caretaker leadership, describing the situation as “political suicide.”
Recall that the electoral commission had said it would no longer recognise the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the party.
The electoral body removed the names of David Mark (ADC National Chairman) and Rauf Aregbesola (ADC National Secretary) from its official records.
The commission cited a court directive to maintain the “status quo” due to a leadership dispute within the party.
It added that it would not recognise any other leadership until the case is finally settled by the Federal High Court in Abuja as ordered by the Court of Appeal.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Kachikwu said the development was the result of actions by political actors who, according to him, attempted to take control of the party without a clear ideological base.
He said, “I had long warned that the ADC was bad market and that anyone who attempted to come into the party through the back door would be shown the way out through the windows.”
Kachikwu traced the development to the expiration of the tenure of former chairman Ralph Nwosu, alleging that the party was subsequently taken over by individuals seeking a new political platform.
He questioned the movement of politicians across parties, stating that such actions reflected a lack of ideology.
“Jumping from political party to political party, no ideology, no belief system, standing for nothing and believing only in the notion that power is their birth right,” Kachikwu noted.
The former presidential candidate warned that the crisis could affect the ambitions of those planning to contest under the party in the 2027 elections.
“I regret to inform you that the actions of these men have rendered any political aspiration through the ADC a nonstarter.”
Kachikwu also alleged a broader political arrangement behind the crisis, linking it to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said, “For them to come into the ADC knowing that there is no pathway here for them, means that there is a conspiracy between these men and the APC to make a fool of us all.”
He added that despite concerns about the state of opposition politics, multiple political parties remain available for participation.
“There are many who would say that this means that we are now a one-party state and my immediate response is that we have the PDP, Labour Party, NNPP, AA, AAC, SDP, ADP, APGA, Accord and many other parties out there. So why theADC? Why the African Democratic Congress?” he queried
Kachikwu concluded that ongoing legal disputes would ultimately determine the party’s leadership structure.
