A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its decision to derecognise the party’s leadership linked to Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola.
INEC had earlier removed the names of Mark and Aregbesola from its portal as National Chairman and National Secretary of the ADC, respectively, citing its interpretation of a Court of Appeal ruling on the party’s leadership dispute.
Reacting on Wednesday via his X handle, Momodu accused the electoral body of bias and alleged collusion with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“INEC has been a debilitating albatross on Nigeria. Our country has waltzed from bad to worse since the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election,” he said.
He also questioned the commission’s neutrality, referencing its handling of internal disputes in other political parties. According to him, INEC acted swiftly in recognising a faction within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while ignoring similar conflicts within the APC.
Momodu further alleged that recent political developments indicate growing pressure on opposition parties, claiming that several governors have been coerced into joining the ruling party.
On the ADC leadership crisis, he warned that the party may have to seek redress in court, describing the situation as uncertain.
“Now that INEC has summarily derecognised ADC, the last hope would be the courts, and even that is very precarious. But there’s always the God factor,” he added.
He also drew parallels with Nigeria’s political history, suggesting similarities with past attempts to consolidate power.
