By Juliet Umeh
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed concerns that the recent Court of Appeal judgment restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from recognising congresses conducted by committees appointed by the party’s Senator David Mark-led caretaker committee could affect its presidential ticket for the 2027 general elections.
Reacting to the ruling on Tuesday, former national chairman of the party, Ralph Nwosu, insisted that the judgment was limited to congresses and had no bearing on the party’s primaries or the validity of its candidates.
According to him, the names of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, as well as National Assembly candidates, had already been successfully uploaded to INEC.
“I want to tell you that Atiku Abubakar’s and Rotimi Amaechi’s names have been successfully uploaded as our presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The names of all the National Assembly candidates have also been uploaded,” Nwosu said.
He maintained that there was no court judgment nullifying the leadership of the David Mark-led National Working Committee, NWC.
“There is no judgment so far other than the judgment reaffirming that the process that brought David Mark and the new NWC into being is correct. INEC has confirmed that, and a court of competent jurisdiction has also affirmed it,” he stated.
Clarifying the scope of the appellate court’s decision, Nwosu said, “The Appeal Court judgment talked about congresses, not about the primaries and not about the leadership of the party. Congresses relate to the process of electing party executives at the ward, local government and state levels, while primaries are conducted for the nomination of candidates.”
He stressed: “Our candidates emerged through direct primaries. Every registered member of the party voted. The process was organised by the National Working Committee and monitored by INEC. No chairman or caretaker committee member determined the outcome,” he said.
On the dispute surrounding the party’s state executives, Nwosu argued that the matter was largely an internal affair.
“The state chairmen wanted their tenure extended. Their claim was that they were sworn in on May 12, 2022, and therefore should remain in office for four years. But even by their own argument, that tenure has expired,” he said.
Describing the controversy as politically motivated, Nwosu added: “What is happening is basically political rascality. The Supreme Court has ruled time and again that matters concerning the leadership of political parties are internal affairs.”
Expressing confidence in the party’s prospects, he said: “No matter what happens or the kind of smear campaign against us, Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi will remain our candidates, and we are confident of victory in 2027.”
