Politics
Being The Text Of The World Press Conference Addressed By Senator David Mark, Chairman Of African Democratic Congress (Adc) On April 2, 2026, At The Shehu Yar’adua Centre, Abuja.
THIS ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY WILL NOT STAND
On behalf of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and lovers of democracy, I welcome you all to this world press conference.
Since 1999, Nigeria has been under democratic rule. After 27 years, we thought we could proudly celebrate the entrenchment of democracy, believing that the country’s dictatorial past has receded into history.
Our experience in the past three years or so since President Bola Tinubu came to power has however confirmed otherwise. Democracy is only sustained by the quality of freedom that it offers and guarantees, especially the freedom to choose, the freedom to participate, and the freedom to associate. These freedoms are so critical to democracy that without them, democracy dies.
Yet, in the past three years, we have witnessed a relentless assault on these very freedoms. The agenda is very clear, to create a situation where, in 2027, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerges as the only option left for the people, despite the widespread suffering and wanton killings going on across the country. The twin challenge of deepening poverty, and worsening security situation in the country did not just happen. They are direct consequences of the failure of this government. They know that Nigerians will not want this to continue. They know Nigerians will vote them out. This is why they would do anything to hang on to power by hook or crook.
Background to the Coalition
The coalition of opposition parties came about as a result of a collective search for democratic freedom and the desire to resist what was clearly a relentless assault on opposition political parties. The coalition leaders decided to come together under ADC to save multi-party democracy in Nigeria and rescue Nigeria from what was clearly an emerging dictatorship.
Atiku David Mark at ADC press conference
ADC National Chairman, David Mark and Atiku Abubakar during a press conference on Thursday in Abuja. @Atiku/X
We did not come to the ADC by chance. We did our due diligence. We fulfilled all the party’s constitutional requirements, as well as all wider requirements under the laws that guide the management and operation of political parties.
In furtherance of this process, a NEC meeting was convened on July 29th, 2025, monitored by INEC officials. One of the conclusions of that NEC meeting was the dissolution of the National Working Committee of the party, and the ratification of a caretaker committee to take over the affairs of the party, with my humble self, David Mark, as the National Chairman; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the National Secretary; as well as others who have since been serving as officers of the party.
In addition to witnessing this process that brought in the new leadership of the party, a formal report of these resolutions was subsequently communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). On September 9th, 2025, INEC then uploaded the names of the relevant NWC members of the party, based on the NEC resolutions.
One of the officials in the dissolved NWC was Nafiu Bala, who was one of the Deputy National Chairmen of the party. It is on record that Gombe resigned this position on 17th May, 2025. His resignation was also duly transmitted to INEC on the 12th of August, 2025. Regardless of his resignation, he decided to approach the courts on September 2nd, 2025, four clear months after his resignation, seeking to be recognised as the Chairman of the ADC.
What this means is that by the 2nd of September, when he approached the courts, INEC was already aware that Secretary Aregbesola and I had been inaugurated on the 29th of July in a process monitored by INEC. INEC was also aware that Gombe had resigned his position before the said inauguration on the 29th of July.
While this matter was in court, our team of lawyers approached the Court of Appeal, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. In rejecting the appeal, the Court of Appeal ordered the parties including INEC to maintain the status quo ante bellum.
After this ruling on March 12th, 2026, we noticed a flurry of activities by lawyers associated with Nafiu Bala, requesting INEC to recognise him as the new chairman, or to de-recognise Aregbesola and I as the secretary and chairman respectively, in a curious interpretation of what constitutes status quo ante bellum. But we knew all along that Nafiu Bala and his lawyers were not acting on their own volition. They had become willing tools in the hands of a ruling party that had lost all support and goodwill of the Nigerian people; a government that had become desperate to cling on to power by all means even if it meant throwing the country into avoidable crisis.
In the past couple of months, ADC has become the only viable opposition party left in Nigeria. But this APC government does not want any opposition. While we were fully aware of all their desperate plans, we remained confident that no level of desperation would have driven the government and the INEC to take a direct action against the ruling of the court. But we were wrong.
It was therefore to our surprise, yesterday, 1st of April, that INEC issued a press statement after the close of business hours, announcing that it had decided to withdraw recognition for both the ADC leadership, which I head, and the fictitious one purportedly led by Nafiu Bala, thereby creating a false equivalence between the parties.
By purporting to recognizing Nafiu Bala as a faction, INEC seems to have conveniently forgotten that this individual had resigned his position, to the knowledge of INEC itself.
The Legal Position
The crux of the matter is the interpretation of what constitutes status quo ante bellum, which the Court of Appeal directed should be maintained. From all authoritative counsel at our disposal, there is no legal interpretation or precedent that could possibly lead to the outcome that INEC seeks to foist on our party.
ADC National Chairman, David Mark addressing a press conference on Thursday in Abuja
ADC National Chairman, David Mark addressing a press conference on Thursday in Abuja
Based on its press statement of yesterday, INEC is pretending to be confused as to what constitutes the status quo ante bellum. If this was so, under the circumstances, what one would have expected was for INEC to approach the Court of Appeal to request a judicial interpretation of what truly represents the status quo under the circumstances. But it did not do this. While posturing to be neutral, its actions confirm that it has become irredeemably partisan, working, as it were, towards a preconceived agenda. With its action, this INEC has left no one in doubt that it has chosen the path of dishonour and has become complicit in undermining Nigeria’s democracy. It therefore can no longer be trusted.
What we say in essence is this: INEC cannot choose to fix the status quo from the day it took the administrative action to upload the names of the new ADC officials on its website, because INEC does not have the power to determine for any political party who its leaders should be. That decision was taken on July 29th, not on September 9th. With its press release yesterday, INEC has invented a status quo that never existed, because there was no time that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) did not have a duly constituted leadership. What INEC has done is to create a situation that, by its own curious logic, leaves the ADC without leadership. This certainly cannot be the status quo that the Court of Appeal directed should be preserved. It is an INEC invention that is not known to any Nigerian law.
There is only one conclusion that Nigerians can draw from the April 1st action taken by INEC: THE ELECTORAL UMPIRE HAS TAKEN SIDES. IT CAN NO LONGER BE TRUSTED. As a matter of fact, INEC has acted in contempt of the Court of Appeal and has therefore acted unlawfully.
My fellow democrats, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. It is not the ADC that is under attack. This is a direct assault on Nigeria’s democracy and the right of Nigerians to choose, participate, and exercise their rights as free citizens. We have witnessed how the APC-led Federal Government has undermined, compromised, and coerced other opposition political parties. The ADC has risen as the last bastion between Nigeria’s democracy and full-blown dictatorship. And this is what worries them.
What is now unfolding is a concerted effort to dismantle that last bulwark. If we allow this to happen, it could signal the end of our democracy as we know it. If we yield to it, we would have become complicit by our inaction. We therefore hold it a duty to our democracy and the Nigerian people to say “no”.
Right now, I speak to Nigerians at home and in diaspora. I also speak directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: with 90% of the National Assembly and over 30 of Nigeria’s 36 Governors in the APC, President Tinubu, what are you afraid of? If you are convinced that you have done well for the people who voted for you, why are you afraid of a free, fair, and transparent electoral contest? If you are indeed the democrat that you claim to be, why are you bent on destroying all opposition political parties?
Let me reiterate for the record; there are no competing claims on the leadership of the ADC. Nafiu Bala has no locus whatsoever. INEC should have waited for the Court of Appeal to decide this matter. Instead, INEC went ahead to do the bidding of the ruling party. But let us be clear: the role of INEC over political parties is not administrative: it is not managerial: It is simply supervisory.
For the avoidance of doubt, the leadership of ADC inaugurated at the 29th July 2025, NEC meeting remains the lawful leaders of the party. Party members and all Nigerians should therefore remain calm as there is no cause for alarm whatsoever.
It is important to state the net implications of this decision taken by INEC, in case they had not thought of it, or they just do not care:
First, by attempting to subvert the leadership of the ADC, INEC has already undermined our participation in the Osun and Ekiti elections taking place later this year.
Secondly, we have our congresses starting on the 9th of April, 2026, ending with our convention on the 14th April, 2026. We have given due notice to INEC, and they have acknowledged receipt of that notice. This is what the law requires of us.
Let us sound a note of warning. This INEC under Professor Joash Amupitan will be held directly responsible for whatever actions or reactions that follow this criminal path that it has chosen to take.
Our demand is therefore clear:
We demand the immediate resignation or sack of the INEC Chairman, Professor Amupitan, and all the National Commissioners. We no longer have confidence in them. We are convinced that they are incapable of conducting any credible election.
Let us also make it clear: we are proceeding with our party programmes, because there is nothing under the law that makes INEC’s attendance, a mandatory requirement. We have duly served INEC notice, and we will proceed accordingly.
We also call on the international community to take note of INEC’s actions of April 1st, and of the restraint we are exercising today. We urge them to recognise the clear threat to Nigeria’s democracy and stability, and to hold accountable those who are undermining the integrity of the electoral process.
We call on Nigerians to defend our democracy. This is a defining moment. Stand firm. Speak out. Participate. Resist any attempt to impose a one-party state on Nigeria. Nigeria belongs to all of us, and together, we must protect it.
It is often said, that the arc of history does not bend towards tyranny. It bends towards freedom.
And no matter how long the night may seem, the morning will come.
Nigeria will not be silenced. Nigeria will not be conquered.
Nigeria is rising, ADC is rising.
Sen. David Mark
National Chairman
African Democratic Congress
April 2, 2026.
_
NDC Accuses APC of Political Intimidation, Govt Says Allegations Are “Unfounded”
By Felix Umande
The convoy of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, was attacked in Makurdi on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, as he visited Benue State to commiserate with victims of the 2025 attacks in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area.
The Benue State Government has, however, denied any involvement, describing the allegations as “unfounded.”
According to the NDC Benue State Chapter, “a handful of thugs attacked his convoy, throwing stones and chanting slogans including ‘Obi should go back,’ ‘Tinubu must stay,’ and ‘No Alia, No Benue.’”
The party said the incident occurred while Obi was in the state capital to identify with victims of recent attacks. It also claimed that relief materials worth “billions of naira” brought by Obi were looted by hoodlums during the incident.
The NDC condemned the attack as “senseless, unacceptable, and a disturbing indication of the growing intolerance toward opposition voices in the State.” The party linked it to what it called the government’s failure to adequately address security challenges, including persistent attacks by armed groups suspected to be Fulani militias.
Reacting to the incident, Peter Obi said he was not in Benue “to cause chaos but to sympathize with victims of the attacks and identify with their pain.” He described the attack as an infringement on his fundamental human rights, especially with political campaigns now declared open by INEC.
Obi appealed to supporters to remain calm and shun reprisals. He described the action as “a sign of nervousness” by the APC ahead of elections, and expressed confidence that the NDC would prevail.
NDC Governorship Candidate, Prof. Terhemba Shija, also condemned the attack and warned against acts capable of provoking tension.
NDC State Chairman, Mr. Ohini Ojegbe, urged Benue people to reject political intimidation, reaffirming that the NDC is anchored on “rule of law, justice, accountability, inclusion, and service to the people.”
The party has called on security agencies to investigate and bring those responsible, as well as any sponsors, to justice.
In a swift response, the Benue State Government, through Chief Press Secretary Sir Tersoo Kula, rejected the claims “in the strongest terms.”
“We wish to emphatically deny that the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has an idea of what Mr. Obi is talking about,” the statement said. It described the allegations as “a desperate attempt to drag Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Benue people into what may be an internal political matter within the NDC.”
The government said Governor Alia “is averse to the promotion of thuggery” and does not “engage, patronize, or deploy thugs.” It added that security agencies, not thugs, are responsible for handling threats.
The statement also questioned Obi’s visit, saying it was “curious that an individual presenting himself as a presidential candidate could arrive in a state without the relevant security authorities being formally informed.”
“We therefore urge the public to disregard the allegations linking the State Government to any incident that happened around the NDC Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi,” Kula stated. “Benue remains open to legitimate visitors, political actors and all Nigerians who come in peace.”
Ortom, Aondoakaa Rally Zone C for PDP, Accuse Alia Govt of Neglect
By Felix Umande
Otukpo, the capital of Benue South Senatorial District, came to a standstill on Saturday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) officially flagged off the campaign of Senate Minority Leader, Senator Patrick Abba Moro, for the 2027 senatorial election.
The event at St. Andrew’s Primary School Field drew an overwhelming crowd of supporters, party leaders, and defectors from other parties, which the PDP described as a “powerful expression of unity, hope, and determination.”
In a statement, the Benue PDP commended the turnout, saying it reflected the people’s desire for “purposeful representation, responsive leadership, accountability, and meaningful development.”
State Chairman, Rt. Hon. Ezekiel Awulu Adaji, who presented party flags to Senator Moro, four National Assembly candidates and eleven State Assembly candidates, commended party leaders including former Governor Chief Samuel Ortom, Governorship Candidate Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, and other stakeholders for strengthening the party’s resolve for an “issue-based, peaceful, and inclusive” campaign.
Senator Moro said his re-election bid was a “renewed commitment to the people” and not just a quest for another term. He accused the Alia-led administration of failing Zone C despite receiving over ₦35 billion monthly from the Federation Account in the last three years.
“The Alia-led administration has completely failed the people of Benue South Senatorial District,” Moro said, challenging the government to provide factual evidence of its achievements.
He listed his record in the Senate, including sponsoring about 16 bills, moving 16 motions, and attracting projects to all nine local government areas in Zone C.
Former Governor Chief Samuel Ortom urged voters to unite behind Senator Moro and all PDP candidates.
“This election is an opportunity to choose credible leadership, progress, accountability, and meaningful development. Let us stand united, support our candidates, and cast our votes for the party that represents our collective hopes and aspirations,” Ortom said.
PDP Governorship Candidate, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, who appeared with running mate Dr. Oyije Ochaekiti Ogbenjuwa, described the PDP as the team committed to good governance and development. He lamented the neglect of Zone C under the current administration despite “unprecedented resources” and assured that a PDP government would address the zone’s needs in 2027.
A major highlight of the rally was the defection of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other parties to the PDP. They unanimously adopted Senator Moro as their consensus candidate for 2027.
Prominent APC chieftain in Zone C, Barrister John Ochoga, also defected to the PDP with his supporters.
Other dignitaries present included PDP Senatorial Candidates for Benue North-West, Dr. (Mrs.) Eunice Ortom, and Benue North-East, Hon. Thomas Tyolumun Unongo, as well as members of the State Executive Committee.
The PDP said the massive turnout “has sent a strong message that the PDP is ready, the movement is growing, and the journey to victory has begun.”
Politics
‘Exclusion of Tiv on Tinubu’s Campaign Council’ Deliberate, Says Hembe, Benue ADC Gov Candidate
By Vincent Tyosuugh
African Democratic Congress (ADC) 2027 governorship candidate in Benue State, Rt. Hon. Herman Hembe, has kicked against the exclusion of the Tiv ethnic group from the presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This reaction trails the All Progressives Congress, Saturday release of the complete membership list of its 2027 Presidential Campaign Council without any member of the Tiv race, the highest in the Middle and the fourth most populated ethnic group in Nigeria.
Only three people from Benue State made the list. The three are former President of the Senate, Ameh Ebute; former Deputy Governor of the state, Steven Lawani; and Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi.
According to a statement issued by the Hembe/Abba Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation, signed by Sir Peter Vande, which was made available to newsmen on Sunday night, said the development was a deliberate political decision.
The statement read in part:
“The recent release of the presidential campaign council list by the Tinubu APC has exposed a deliberate and calculated exclusion of the Tiv people from national reckoning.
“This is not an oversight. This is a message, and every Tiv person, every Benue son and daughter, must read it correctly. There will be no room for the Tiv if, God forbid, Tinubu is declared winner.”
The organisation said the Tiv people had contributed significantly to Nigeria’s unity and development and should not be treated as an afterthought in national political calculations.
“We are the fourth-largest tribe in Nigeria. We have shed blood for the unity of this country. We are, and have always been, a beautiful tribe that deserves to be courted diligently, not a bystander invited only when convenient.”
The statement, however, said the Tiv people should not be likened to someone seeking attention where none existed, stressing that the Tiv as one of Nigeria’s major ethnic groups deserved to be deliberately courted in the nation’s political process.
It further argued that the exclusion of Tiv APC members from the presidential campaign council should concern every serious-minded Tiv person and questioned whether the Tiv people could expect adequate representation in government if President Bola Tinubu wins the 2027 election.
The organisation said its governorship candidate, Herman Hembe, remained committed to the welfare, security and political interests of the people of Benue, adding that fair representation should be a major consideration in determining political loyalty and electoral support.
Hembe used the opportunity to urge the people of Benue to back the African Democratic Congress’ presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who he described as a politician familiar with the concerns of the Tiv people.
The organisation said an Atiku/Amaechi administration would restore the Tiv and Benue people to what it described as their rightful position in Nigeria’s political affairs, while also claiming that Atiku had better plans for improving the lives of Nigerians.
Similarly, the All Progressives Congress in the state has decried the exclusion of the Tiv ethnic group from the party’s presidential campaign council.
Daniel Ihomun, the state publicity secretary of the Agada-led faction loyal to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who spoke to our correspondent on Monday, argued that the majority of members who made the list, especially those from the North-Central, were Muslims.
He said, “We, the party in the state, are not happy with the list released in the President Bola Tinubu Campaign Council because Tiv people are excluded from the list.
“There are so many Muslims on the list, especially in North-Central. The former Director-General of the Tinubu campaign in 2023 was not on the list. We Christians are not happy; we have been shortchanged.
“With the Tiv population in Nigeria, you cannot neglect us like that. We contributed to Tinubu’s victory in 2023; it’s like we have been neglected.
“With what has happened, the President is making the job (campaign) difficult for us.”
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