Kwankwaso’s defection triggers APC to ‘use’ INEC to cause chaos in our party, says ADC

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has alleged a coordinated attempt to undermine its leadership following the defection of former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, into the party.

In a statement issued on March 31, 2026, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC-led Federal Government of exerting pressure on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Joash Ojo Amupitan, to interfere in the party’s internal affairs.

The ADC said Mr Kwankwaso’s entry into the party has unsettled the ruling party, prompting what it described as renewed efforts to weaken the opposition and discourage other high-profile defections.

At the centre of the dispute, according to the party, is a March 28 letter by a group of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, purportedly acting on behalf of an expelled member, seeking to compel INEC to invalidate key decisions of the party and alter its leadership structure before the courts deliver a final ruling.

The party described the request as an attempt to impose a “curious” interpretation of a Court of Appeal judgment regarding the principle of “status quo ante bellum,” noting that the matter remains sub judice.

It further alleged that the letter threatened the INEC chairman with arrest if the demands were not met within seven days—an action the ADC said was intended to force the commission into taking sides.

The party maintained that he was neither a former national chairman nor a current member, having resigned alongside other National Working Committee members and subsequently been expelled.

The ADC argued that the alleged moves reflect growing anxiety within the ruling party over its increasing appeal, saying it is a convergence of legal pressure and political calculation.

“No amount of pressure, manufactured confusion, or distortion of legal processes will halt the momentum we are witnessing. The ADC is expanding, Nigerians are joining, and a credible opposition is emerging,” the statement read.

The party urged INEC to remain guided by the Constitution and resist external pressure, stressing that the issue goes beyond partisan interests and speaks to Nigerians’ right to freely choose their leaders.