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Decries INEC conspiracy
From Idu Jude, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that the party is being witch-hunted, along with other opposition parties, by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to avoid defeat in the 2027 presidential election.
The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, while delivering a speech during the 8th ADC National Convention in Abuja on Tuesday, stated that the ADC does not and will never owe its existence to any individual or group, including an electoral body masquerading as a neutral umpire with its leadership raggedly robed in the attire of political partisanship.
Aregbesola, whose position as the party’s National Secretary is being challenged in court, stated that the ADC derives its existence from the aspirations and will of the Nigerian people who are tired of what he described as deceit and colossal mismanagement.
“We owe our existence to the Nigerian constitution, which declares that freedom of association, including that to form or belong to any political party, is guaranteed and is a fundamental right.
“We are here because the ADC is on a rescue mission to prise the country from the strangulating grasp of the ruling party.
“The APC is a party which has foisted on the country an electoral law that states forgery and making false claims in electoral documents is no longer a punishable electoral offence. In other words, the ruling party is decriminalising criminality.
“We proclaim our existence because our country is worth all necessary sacrifices. We cannot allow kakistocracy in Nigeria. The government’s claim that the recent reduction in the exchange rate shows its mastery of economics is false.
“In truth, the exchange rate, which was about N700 to the dollar when this government assumed office in 2023, is now about N1,400.
“This amounts to a 100 percent devaluation. In an import-dependent economy, this is devastating. The cost of a litre of fuel was before, this administration, between N185-238 depending on the part of the country you were, now it is about N1,400 per litre and still rising. The cost of transportation is now so prohibitive that it has become unrealistic for some workers to go to work.
“The administration told Nigerians that if it does not solve the power problem by providing a constant power supply, it should not be voted for a second term. Today, power supply is far worse, with some parts of the country receiving an average two hours daily and, some being in darkness for a stretch of weeks and months.
“Ordinarily, having made such a promise and failed woefully, an honest President should simply step down and not seek reelection.
“Rather, what we are witnessing is the most desperate attempt by a candidate in Nigerian electoral history to retain power at all cost even if it means bringing down the entire democratic system.
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“We have the duty to stop scammers from retaining power. As for education, the number of out-of-school children is estimated to be 18.3 million, has lengthened to some 20 million. Equally, far more children, due to neglect, are being railroaded by the government into poverty and criminality. Today, 130 million Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor.
“The country is in dire straits and we cannot allow this continued drift into hopelessness. This is why as was pointed out earlier, the ADC is on a rescue mission. On this, there is no time to spare. We call on all conscientious citizens to join us because a fence sitter in moments that require decisiveness is either a traitor or collaborator with those who seek to destroy the country.
“Our party, the ADC, has, within nine months of its July 2, 2025, unveiling in Abuja, transformed into the main opposition party in the country. It has also become the Minority Party in the National Assembly as well as the hope of the Nigerian people for liberation from the clutches of the ruling party.
“We have spent the last ten months consolidating our structures across the country and repositioning for the patriotic duty of providing leadership for our country by the grace of God in 2027.
“The NWC, following the order of the NEC of May 15, 2025, cited above, met on July 2, 2025, and passed the following resolutions: Constitution of a Caretaker Committee to manage the affairs of the party in light of the coalition process and internal restructuring, Composition and appointment of people to the Caretaker Committee.
“Also, Committee/Interim NWC to include: Senator David Mark: Caretaker National Chairman, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola: Caretaker National Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi: Caretaker National Publicity Secretary, and other members.
“The Commission, with or without prior notice to the political party, SHALL attend and observe any convention, congress, conference, or meeting which is convened by a political party for: Electing members of its executive committees or other governing bodies; Electing candidates for an election at any level; and Approving a merger with any registered political party.”
“As a party, we have discharged the responsibility required of us and at this point, it is the duty of INEC to equally discharge its responsibility of attending and monitoring our convention.
“The decision of INEC to refuse to attend and monitor our convention amounts to dereliction of duty bordering on a dangerously partisan outlook aimed at unlawfully delegitimising the otherwise legitimate actions of our party, the ADC.
“ADC has not been proscribed by any law or court order. It therefore has the right to continue undertaking its legitimate functions under the law. We are seriously concerned with the attitude of INEC treating the ADC as a party that has been proscribed and therefore does not exist.
“We hereby call on the international community to take special interest in the evolving anti-democratic actions of the APC and, more particularly, INEC’s abandonment of its role as an unbiased umpire.
“Nigeria has gone through similar anti-democratic plots from some governments in the past, and they stood up to them, and those plots collapsed like a pack of cards.
“This attempt too as initiated by APC and fueled by INEC will collapse like a pack of cards and Nigerians will take back their country,” he stated.
