What’s Happening to Opposition Parties?

With the delisting of the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Ejiofor Alike wonders if the problems of opposition parties are self-inflicted as claimed by the ruling All Progressives Congress or there is a deliberate effort by the ruling party to destroy them ahead of next year’s general election? 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Wednesday announced the delisting of the names of the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by a former Senate President, Senator David Mark, from its official portal, citing a directive by the Court of Appeal.

ADC, like other opposition parties, has been enmeshed in a prolonged leadership dispute as factions loyal to Mark and Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe have continued to fight for the control of the soul of the party.

The commission said that it would revert to the status quo ante bellum until a substantive suit currently before the Federal High Court in Abuja is determined.

 INEC explained that although it uploaded the names of the current NWC members on September 9, 2025, the legal action challenging the leadership had already been filed on September 2, 2025.

The commission stated that it would now comply fully with the appellate court’s directive by removing the names pending the court’s final decision.

INEC, however, turned down a request from Bala’s faction seeking his recognition as acting national chairman, stressing that granting such recognition would run contrary to the court’s order.

But a Professor of Law, and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, countered the commission, saying it was not in a position to interpret the decision of the Appeal Court.

Odinkalu claimed that the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Josiah Amupitan, was under threat for him to have assumed duties of the court in the interpretation of the Court of Appeal judgement.

Odinkalu, in an X post, pointed finger at the INEC leadership, President Tinubu, Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, alleging a meeting that culminated in the commission’s statement containing its interpretation of the Court of Appeal ruling.

“I have it on the most impeccable authority that there is a pre-signed resignation letter by Chairman (Professor Joash) Amupitan (INEC chairman). 

“It was a pre-condition for his appointment. Ultimately, that had to be called in aid by those who persuaded him to issue this release. The threat of releasing it did the magic.”

Though Odinkalu’s allegation was very weighty and would require investigation so as to save Nigeria’s democracy, the crisis in the ADC is not surprising to many who are conversant with the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.

With the several court actions instituted against the emergence of the Mark-led leadership, political analysts had predicted that the ADC was going to suffer the same internal crisis that weakened the other major opposition parties – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria’s Peoples Party (NNPP).

Reacting to the INEC’s latest action, the ADC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the commission of wrongly interpreting the Appeal Court’s ruling.

He also accused INEC of acting under pressure from the government to destroy all opposition parties and foist a one-party rule on Nigeria.

Abdullahi described INEC’s position as contradictory and inconsistent with facts, insisting that the commission was siding with the government against Nigerians.

Also addressing a world press conference in Abuja last Thursday, Mark  called for the immediate resignation of Amupitan, accusing the electoral body of undermining democracy and interfering in political parties’ internal affairs.

Mark was flanked by former presidential candidates – Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, as well as former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung; former senator Dino Melaye and the Abia South senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe.

“We demand the immediate resignation or sack of the INEC Chairman, Professor Amupitan, and all the National Commissioners. We no longer have confidence in them. We are convinced that they are incapable of conducting any credible election,” Mark said.

However, INEC, in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to its chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said calls for the chairman’s removal were “a distraction” and “a direct assault on the independence of the nation’s electoral umpire.”

“The chairman does not hold office at the pleasure of any political party or interest group. Any call for removal outside the established constitutional process is not only a distraction but a direct assault on the independence of the nation’s electoral umpire,” INEC said.

The commission stressed that its actions were guided strictly by the Constitution, noting that “the appointment, tenure and removal of the chairman and National Commissioners are governed by Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

INEC explained that its decision to comply with the Court of Appeal judgment in the ongoing ADC leadership dispute was to avoid a repeat of past incidents where elected officials were removed due to disobedience of court orders.

Meanwhile, APC also defended the commission, saying that ADC’s challenges were self-inflicted and not the result of external interference.

APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in a statement last Thursday, described it as escapist and irresponsible for the ADC to blame the APC for its internal challenges, which he said the ADC itself created.

APC insisted that INEC’s decision to derecognise the Mark-led executives was in line with a valid court judgment, legally justified, and consistent with both electoral guidelines and democratic practice.

“When its factional leadership under the duo of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola parachuted into the party like thoughtless and planless commandos, and hijacked the party in violent violation of its constitutional stipulations regarding leadership succession, and in disregard of the rule of law, the ADC set its own date with destiny,” APC added.

On its part, a coalition of political actors and civil society figures, Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), in a statement, described the withdrawal of the recognition of Mark’s leadership as “a malicious attempt to decapitate the ADC and the opposition in general.”

The statement was signed by MCE Chairman, Dr. Usman Bugaje; co-chair, Comrade Ayuba Wabba; and several other political and civil society figures, including Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and Femi Falana (SAN).

As the 2027 general election approaches, the question agitating the minds of lovers of democratic competition is:  Is there actually a pattern of interference in opposition parties by the APC, INEC and the judiciary to ensure that Tinubu emerged unchallenged in 2027 or have the opposition parties refused to abide by their own laws, the Electoral Act and the Constitution, thereby creating the opportunities for the ruling party to use the electoral commission and the judiciary to destablise them?