FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso on Wednesday joined other opposition figures in Abuja to protest the derecognition of leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
The protesters, under the auspices of “Save Democracy in Nigeria”, staged peaceful protest against alleged bias by Nigeria’s electoral umpire.
The rally, which also featured former Senate President David Mark, former governors Rauf Aregbesola and Aminu Tambuwal, as well as other political actors, saw demonstrators holding banners with inscriptions such as “Tinubu, let our democracy breathe.”
Participants also gathered under what organisers tagged the “#OccupyINEC Protest,” converging around Maitama Roundabout in the Federal Capital Territory.
The procession included former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, former Senator Dino Melaye, activist Aisha Yesufu, and several civil society figures.
In a post shared during the demonstration, Bolaji Abdullahi wrote: “Arise O Compatriots! We are outside!” signalling the commencement of the protest action.
Abubakar also issued a statement describing the action as a peaceful demonstration.
“Myself and other leaders of the ADC are peacefully protesting against the partisanship of the electoral umpire. Our patriotic stance is aimed at safeguarding our democracy and preventing the enthronement of a dictatorship,” he wrote.
Security presence was observed around key routes leading to Maitama, as protesters continued chanting and displaying placards calling for reforms within Nigeria’s electoral system and INEC)
The protest, which organisers said was aimed at “saving democracy,” was ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
Ahead of the protest, the ADC had announced that it would proceed with its planned congresses and national convention despite INEC’s stance. The party insisted that it had complied with all legal requirements, including issuing the mandatory 21-day notice for its internal activities.
Why protesters stormed INEC
On Wednesday, April 1, The ICIR reported INEC derecognising ADC leadership, including its chairman, Mark, and secretary, Aregbesola.
The commission took the decision after reviewing the judgment in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/145/2026, which arose from a leadership dispute within the party.
The commission explained that the decision meant it would no longer recognise Mark or his team as officials of the party pending the final determination of the case before another court – a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The dispute is between Mark and Nafiu Bala Gombe, who claimed he should lead the party as acting national chairman following the resignation of the previous leadership.
INEC’s decision means the ADC might not field candidates in the upcoming elections if the litigations are not concluded.
Consequently, Abubakar, Obi, Kwankwaso and other stalwarts of the party are accusing INEC of working to ensure the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which produced President Bola Tinubu, is the only major party that will participate in the polls.
Tinubu will be seeking re-election in 2027.
“We have given INEC 21 days’ notice. They have accepted the notice. So, whether they come and continue with our congresses, we’ll continue with our convention,” Abdullahi said.
He further alleged that INEC had misinterpreted the Court of Appeal ruling and was being influenced to destabilise opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing the situation as an attempt to undermine democracy.
INEC, however, has maintained that its position on the ADC leadership was guided by ongoing court proceedings and a directive to preserve the status quo pending judicial determination.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M