The spokesman of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Presidency have exchanged words over the crisis within the party.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, sparked the controversy on X @aonanuga1956 with a post that read: “Just continue your illegality, the lawless ADC. The dog that wants to get lost in the forest will ignore the hunter’s whistle.”
In response, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, reacted on his wall, stating: “The hunter you speak of has no jurisdiction in this forest. ADC is not lost, we are simply not following unlawful whistles. Besides, don’t forget, the forest hides that which hunts the hunter,” @BolajiADC wrote.
On Friday, the ADC rejected claims made by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, in an interview with ARISE NEWS, that proceeding with its congresses and convention could violate existing court orders. The party described INEC’s position as a wilful distortion of the Court of Appeal’s directive to maintain the status quo, which amounts to contempt of court.
Abdullahi, in a statement, said the ADC would therefore proceed with its activities in full compliance with the law and urged INEC to confine itself strictly to its constitutional and statutory mandate.
The National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, while addressing a world press conference on Thursday at the Yar’adua Centre, Abuja—attended by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and Rotimi Amaechi—demanded the immediate resignation or removal of Amupitan and all the National Commissioners.
His address followed INEC’s decision to remove the names of the Senator David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the ADC from its portal and suspend recognition of all rival factions in the party, pending the determination of an ongoing leadership suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
A statement on Wednesday by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, added that the commission would also refrain from monitoring any conventions, meetings, or congresses organised by the rival faction, pending the determination of the substantive suit before the Federal High Court.
Speaking on Friday about the decision to monitor the congresses, Amupitan said ongoing legal processes created binding constraints on INEC’s actions. He warned that disregarding legal constraints could have far-reaching consequences, citing instances where political parties lost electoral victories due to non-compliance. Amupitan added that the interpretation of status quo ante bellum was central to INEC’s decision-making and noted that the commission had received conflicting communications from opposing factions.
