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ADC Rift Deepens as Party Leaders Disown Abuja Convention, Describes It As “Suya Convention”
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…Gombe faction alleges legal breaches and forged processes
…Abejide signals possible defection ahead of next election
By Gloria Ikibah
The internal crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has escalated, with a key faction of the party rejecting the outcome of a recent convention held in Abuja and describing it as unlawful.
Factional National Chairman, Nafiu Gombe, alongside senior party figure and lawmaker, Leke Abejide, dismissed the gathering organised by a coalition group, arguing that it breached existing court rulings and undermined due process.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the group maintained that the convention, held on 14 April, 2026, failed to meet legal requirements and was conducted in disregard of binding judicial decisions.
They pointed to a Court of Appeal ruling delivered in March 2026, which they said remains in force, insisting that any resolutions from the disputed convention could ultimately be overturned by the courts.
The faction also raised concerns over the absence of the electoral commission at the event, suggesting this further weakened its legitimacy and cast doubt on its recognition under the law.
Tensions within the party appear to be deepening, with Abejide indicating he may explore alternative political platforms ahead of the next election cycle, a move that could further reshape the party’s internal dynamics.
Gombe said: “Any action taken in flagrant disregard of the Court of Appeal’s judgment is not only of questionable legality but is liable to be declared null and void,” he said.
The chairman maintained that those behind the convention were not recognised members of the ADC and therefore lacked the legal authority to convene a national convention or take binding decisions on behalf of the party.
“As far as the duly constituted leadership of the party is concerned, the coalition group are not members of ADC and consequently lack the locus standi to convene any congress or convention,” he stated.
He added that the actions of the group were not surprising, alleging a pattern of disregard for due process and violation of the party’s constitution.
Gombe also raised concerns over what he described as a contradiction in the coalition’s actions, as he said while the convention was ongoing, their legal representatives were simultaneously seeking validation for the same exercise before the Supreme Court.
“This underscores the illegitimacy of the entire process,” he said.
In a dramatic development, the factional chairman of the party indicated that the situation has escalated beyond internal disputes, raising serious concerns over alleged criminal actions, including the use of falsified documents purportedly carrying his signature.
“This matter is not an internal party affair. It involves a breach of the ADC constitution and infringement of my rights as a bona fide member. It has now escalated to a criminal dimension with the preparation of false documents bearing my forged signature,” he alleged.
He also criticised attempts by some political actors, including associates of former Senate President David Mark, to rely on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 to shield their actions from judicial scrutiny.
According to him, Section 83(5) of the Act does not preclude the courts from intervening in cases where party constitutions are breached or members’ rights are violated.
Also speaking, Abejide described the Abuja gathering as a “Suya Convention” an “unlawful assembly” and an “affront to the judiciary,” accusing the organisers of deliberately disobeying court orders from both the Federal High Court and the Supreme Court.
He debunked claims that himself and the factional chairman, Gombe had been suspended by the opposing faction, describing such actions as baseless and lacking legal effect.
“It is not a convention but an illegal assembly. This attitude is treasonable and a direct affront against the judiciary.
“The purported suspension is a laughable phenomenon from an illegal group of people who came to destroy the ADC the same way they destabilised other parties they left,” Abejide stated.
Leaders of the faction also criticised members of the coalition, describing them as habitual defectors whose frequent movement between political parties has contributed to instability within the ADC.
Abejide, who represents Yagba Federal Constituency, defended his standing in the party, pointing out that he has remained with the ADC since 2017 and has been instrumental in strengthening its structure, particularly in Kogi State.
He highlighted the party’s growth in the state, noting that it expanded from a single seat in 2019 to securing several legislative positions by 2023, a development he linked to sustained grassroots engagement and steady leadership.
“I am not a political merchant moving from one party to another. I have remained in ADC and helped build it into a recognised platform,” he said.
The factional leadership revealed that it has briefed lawyers to challenge what it described as illegal suspensions and other actions taken by the opposing group, citing the legal principle of lis pendens, which restricts actions on matters already before the court.
They further cautioned that continued disregard for court orders and internal instability could jeopardise the party’s ability to field candidates in future elections.
“If ADC is unable to field candidates at the end of this crisis, the coalition group should be held responsible,” Abejide stated.
The factional leadership group dismissed claims by other factions within the party, insisting that those parading themselves as alternative leadership structures are either aligned with the same coalition or lack any constitutional backing.
Responding to questions on a separate faction that had also distanced itself from the Balagubu-led leadership, the chairman said such groups have no legal standing, alleging that many of their members had previously resigned their positions under questionable circumstances.
He further accused the coalition of recruiting politicians with a history of defection across multiple parties, arguing that their involvement has destabilised the ADC.
“These are individuals who have moved from one political party to another. Their track record shows a pattern of political inconsistency and opportunism,” he said.
The faction also rejected reports that some of its leaders had been suspended by the opposing group, describing the move as baseless and legally untenable.
They argued that any disciplinary action taken by what they termed an “illegal assembly” cannot stand, especially while related matters are before the courts.
“The purported suspensions are laughable. You cannot suspend someone from a structure that has no legal existence,” he said.
Responding to questions on whether he will seek reelection on the platform of ADC in 2027, Abejide said there would be the possibility of political realignments if the crisis persists, noting that politicians may be forced to seek alternative platforms.
” If this matter is not resolved within the next two weeks, any aspirant contesting under this platform risks their political future”, he stated.
News
2027: Tinubu’s details incompletes as primary, secondary qualifications missing from INEC EC9 documents
President Bola Tinubu failed to include primary and secondary school qualifications in the educational qualifications section of the personal particulars submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the 2027 presidential election.
The documents, published by INEC on Saturday in line with its revised timetable for the 2027 general election, contain the nomination papers and supporting credentials of presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
A review of Tinubu’s EC9 nomination form shows that the President listed only a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Business Administration obtained from Chicago State University in 1979 under the educational qualifications section.
The sections provided for his primary and secondary school qualifications were left blank.
However, Tinubu attached copies of his university degree certificate and National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, certificate to his nomination papers.
In the form, the President stated that he was born on March 29, 1952, in Lagos and described his occupation as “Politician.”
He also declared that he worked at Mobil Nigeria Limited between 1983 and 1992 before serving as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007.
He listed his current employer as the Federal Government of Nigeria from 2023 to date and stated that he had never been dismissed from public service.
News
“Greatest Threat Is Misinformation, Not Technical Glitch” – INEC Chairman Tasks Media On Osun Poll Coverage
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has described misinformation and disinformation as the greatest threat to the August 15 Osun State Governorship Election, urging the media to prioritize verified and ethical reportage.
He made the call on Saturday in Osogbo during an interactive session with media executives, describing journalists as the “Fourth Estate of the Realm” and critical stakeholders in the democratic process.
“However, your role as the Fourth Estate is critical to the survival of the process. In this final day window, the greatest threat we face is not technical failure, but the pathology of misinformation and disinformation,” the INEC Chairman said.
“Fake news, manufactured election-day panics, and the unauthorized declaration of parallel results are direct assaults on our public peace and democratic stability.”
He said the Commission has accredited field reporters through its dedicated portal “because we want you to see everything,” and in return demanded “a commitment to verified, ethical, and dispassionate reporting.”
“Verify your facts before you broadcast. When a glitch occurs in a single polling unit, do not report it as a systemic failure across the entire state,” Prof. Amupitan charged.
“Use your channels to educate voters: remind them that No PVC means No Voting, and that vote-buying remains a criminal offense that our partners at the EFCC and ICPC have been mandated to curb.”
Giving an update on readiness, the Chairman said the just-concluded mock accreditation proved the resilience of the BVAS.
“The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) demonstrated optimal field resilience. On average, it took between 30 seconds to 2 minutes to successfully verify a voter using either their fingerprints or facial recognition,” he stated.
“As a result, we have increased the total number of BVAS for the election from 4,427 to 5,130 so as to service split polling units in large PUs in Ife East, Irewole, Egbedore, Ede North, Osogbo. In the process, we increased the number of back-ups from 664 to 1,328 for quick intervention in case of any malfunction.”
Prof. Amupitan also addressed insecurity, saying INEC has moved “from reactive monitoring to proactive prevention” through ICCES. He listed hotspot LGAs to include Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade.
On inclusivity, he reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to vulnerable voters.
“Democracy is incomplete if it excludes vulnerable populations. The Commission has integrated practical assistive devices across polling locations based on our disability mapping in Osun State. We have provisions for braille ballot guides for visually impaired voters; magnifying glasses for voters with albinism and low vision; EC40H poster manifests for hearing-impaired citizens and Priority Voting Queues for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women, nursing mothers, and the elderly,” he said.
The Chairman said 32,000 NYSC members have been engaged as ad-hoc staff via the INECPRES portal and that training for Supervisory Presiding Officers has been concluded.
“We do not care who wins the election; we only care how they win. Our sole job is to ensure that the process is clean, that every valid vote counts, and that the declaration reflects nothing but the true sovereign will of the Osun electorate,” Prof. Amupitan concluded.
The session had in attendance National Commissioners, the Osun REC Barrister Oluwatoyin Babalola, NUJ and BON leadership, Bureau Chiefs, Editors and other senior media executives.
A group, aegis of Coalition of Concerned Nigeria Citizens (CCNC), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately explain the alleged widespread failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during Saturday’s mock accreditation exercise conducted ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
The group alleged that the mock accreditation, designed to test the commission’s readiness for the election, experienced significant technical challenges after commencing in selected polling units across the state, raising concerns about INEC’s preparedness for the governorship poll.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Comrade Raufu Sodiq, popularly known as “Oluomo Success,” the coalition claimed that although the exercise was scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m., it started behind schedule in some polling units. It further alleged that less than 40 minutes after the exercise commenced, many BVAS machines stopped recognising fingerprints, facial features and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), preventing the successful accreditation of voters in the affected locations.
Describing the development as disturbing, the group said a mock accreditation exercise should ordinarily boost public confidence in the electoral process, adding that the reported malfunction of the accreditation devices during the test exercise had instead raised questions about the commission’s level of preparedness.
The coalition argued that accreditation remains the foundation of every credible election because it determines voter eligibility and protects the integrity of the electoral process. According to the group, any failure at that stage could undermine public confidence in the outcome of the election if not urgently addressed.
CCNC also queried why such challenges allegedly occurred despite what it described as years of preparation and substantial public investment in electoral technology. It called on the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner and the national leadership of INEC to provide a comprehensive explanation on the cause of the reported BVAS malfunction and disclose measures being taken to prevent a recurrence during the August 15 governorship election.
Among its demands, the coalition asked INEC to clarify whether the reported glitches resulted from software, hardware or configuration problems, explain its contingency plans for the 3,763 polling units across Osun State, replace any faulty BVAS machines and consider conducting another mock accreditation exercise before the election to restore public confidence.
“We believe in strong democratic institutions and do not want to see INEC fail. However, public confidence must be built on competence, transparency and accountability. The people of Osun deserve an election where every eligible voter can cast their vote without avoidable technological failures,” the statement read.
The group further urged the Chairman of INEC to personally address Nigerians before the governorship election by explaining the outcome of the mock accreditation exercise, outlining corrective measures and assuring voters that all identified technical challenges would be resolved before Election Day.
INEC had organised the mock accreditation exercise to assess the functionality of the BVAS and other electoral processes ahead of the governorship election scheduled for August 15 across the state’s 3,763 polling units.
2027: Tinubu’s details incompletes as primary, secondary qualifications missing from INEC EC9 documents
“Greatest Threat Is Misinformation, Not Technical Glitch” – INEC Chairman Tasks Media On Osun Poll Coverage
Coalition want explanation over alleged BVAS failure in Osun mock accreditation exercise
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