The African Democratic Congress, one of Nigeria’s smaller but persistent political parties, has stumbled into fresh uncertainty after the nation’s electoral commission declined to recognize its new leadership, citing procedural lapses.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, said the ADC has yet to fulfill the requirements needed for Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola to be formally acknowledged as the party’s national chairman and secretary. Until then, any documents signed by the two men carry no official weight, the commission warned.
“Ask ADC if they have truly complied with all the requirements,” Rotimi Oyekanmi, chief press secretary to INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, said in an interview. He noted that a recent delegation from the party was told precisely what remained outstanding. “They are aware,” he said.
Though INEC declined to publicly detail the missing items, party officials familiar with the matter said the ADC is required to submit specimen signatures of its leaders, along with resolutions and other records confirming adherence to the party’s own constitution.
Such requirements, while procedural, have become a crucial test of internal discipline for Nigeria’s political parties, which often face bitter disputes over leadership.
The ADC, which has struggled to carve out a national identity in Nigeria’s crowded political landscape, insisted that it had already moved to resolve the dispute.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s publicity secretary, described the commission’s concerns as “largely administrative” and said the relevant paperwork had been submitted last week. “We are hopeful that everything will be resolved in the coming week,” he said.