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.
_
Politics
Appeal Court Dismisses Benue APC’s Challenge, Affirms Agada EXCO; Omale Faction Insists It Remains In Office
… Leadership crisis deepens after 3 June 2026 ruling
By Felix Umande, Makurdi
The Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress is mired in fresh leadership controversy after the Court of Appeal delivered judgment on Tuesday, 3rd June 2026, dismissing the party’s appeal against a 2024 High Court ruling that nullified the dissolution of the Austin Agada-led Executive Committee.
In a statement, APC Legal Adviser Matthew Alyebo said the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of Justice T.A. Kume of the Benue State High Court, who on 21st August 2024 declared the dissolution of the Agada Exco before its four-year tenure expired as unlawful.
According to Alyebo, the appellate court dismissed the APC’s case, Appeal No. CA/MKD/119/2024, “for lacking in merit” and resolved all five issues for determination against the appellant.
The court also affirmed the High Court’s consequential order that “all activities carried out by the Omale-led Caretaker Committee are null and void and of no effect whatsoever,” Alyebo stated. He added that off-record remarks by the court advised the APC’s counsel, S.D. Swem Esq, to “advise his client to obey Court orders no matter how stupid they may be.” Alyebo dismissed reports that Benjamin Omale withdrew any appeal, noting that Omale, the 10th Respondent, filed no process.
Contradicting the legal adviser’s account, the Omale-led APC State Executive Committee issued a statement Thursday, 4th June 2026, insisting it remains the legitimate leadership of the party in Benue.
State Publicity Secretary, Benedict Yawe, described reports of the Agada Exco’s reinstatement as “false, mischievous, and calculated to mislead members and the general public.”
He argued that the tenure of the former Agada-led committee had long expired and that leadership was determined by constitutional party processes.
Yawe said the APC conducted its State Congress in February 2026, electing Chief Dr. Benjamin Omale and other officials. The outcome, he added, was ratified and recognized by the party’s national organs and confirmed at the APC National Convention in Abuja in March 2026.
“Chief Dr. Benjamin Omale remains the duly elected and recognised Chairman of the APC in Benue State, while members of the current State Executive Committee remain the only legitimate officials constitutionally empowered to administer the affairs of the party,” Yawe said.
He dismissed the latest reports as “desperate attempts by political actors seeking relevance through confusion and sensationalism,” and urged members to rely only on official party communications.
The dispute dates to August 2024 when Justice Kume nullified the APC National Working Committee’s dissolution of the Agada Exco, following an earlier interim injunction by Justice Igoche restraining the NWC. The APC appealed the judgment, but Alyebo said the Court of Appeal has now dismissed that appeal.
Alyebo said the Certified True Copy of the judgment will soon be released “to put all interpretations and fabrications to a definite end.”
With both factions claiming legitimacy, the APC in Benue faces renewed internal tension as the court ruling and the party’s 2026 congress produce competing claims to leadership.
The National Democratic Party on Monday announced Ada Fredrick as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The NDP National Publicity Secretary, Dr Emeka Wachuku, at a news conference in Abuja, expressed confidence that the party and its candidate have the capacity to secure a major victory at the polls.
Wachuku said that Fredrick emerged as the party’s standard-bearer through a consensus affirmation during the primaries held across all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
He described the candidate as a “young and tenacious grassroots politician” who had demonstrated strong leadership capacity and consistent dedication to the cause of national renewal.
Wachuku said that the presidential candidate had initially founded the ‘Ward2Ward’, grassroots support group, before founding the NDP in 2026 to serve the country more effectively.
He noted that at the party’s first National Executive Council (NEC) congress, Fredrick had also emerged as its first National Chairman, alongside members of the National Working Committee (NWC), in an exercise observed by INEC officials.
“NDP is a progressive political family that recognises the inherent value of the female gender and the energy of the youth,” he said.
The publicity secretary added that Fredrick’s candidacy embodied the party’s core mission of giving Nigerians hope, upholding a bright future for the nation and putting Nigeria first.
Outlining the party’s vision for national renewal, Wachuku highlighted key target areas, including provision of basic infrastructure to support job creation as well as a deliberate economic shift toward inward processing of Nigeria’s natural resources.
“NDP believes that Nigeria’s renewal must reflect the urgent and expected desires of Nigerians.
“This includes basic infrastructure that supports economic growth and jobs; accessible, affordable healthcare for all Nigerians; quality education and investments that strengthen human capital, welfare and social support for the elderly and retirees.
“We also have a deliberate plan for harnessing Nigeria’s natural resources inwardly, transforming them into value-added production and positioning Nigeria as an exporter of finished goods, not only raw materials,” he said.
On governance, Wachuku pledged that the party would run an inclusive administration that accommodates women and youths in decision-making, while prioritising the elimination of waste and leakages across government sectors.
He also expressed NDP’s commitment to safeguarding true federalism by ensuring fairness and accountability across federal, state and local governments.
In the 2027 elections, Wachuku expressed confidence in the party’s grassroots structure, declaring a strict electoral target.
“NDP commits to working vigorously to secure at least 25 per cent of the votes in at least two-thirds of the states of Nigeria, driven by credibility, discipline and grassroots mobilisation,” he said.
In her acceptance speech, Fredrick described her emergence as a huge responsibility, noting that the nation urgently required the empathetic leadership that women could provide.
“This responsibility is huge, but with God on our side, we will do our best. Nigeria has come a long way; a lot is happening, and we need women.
“At this point in our lives, we need great women who can speak out passionately and be heard. We will do our best to make sure we give Nigerians the light of hope and fulfil all the promises in our manifesto,” Fredrick said.
She further stated that the party would soon unveil its full manifesto to the public, which would clearly demonstrate why the NDP remained the best political option for the country.
“I will not fail you, I will not fail my country. I will do my best as a woman, a mother and a sister.
“We are calling on Nigerian women and the youth to join hands with us to make Nigeria a better place for all of us,” she said.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, the 2027 NDP candidate for House of Representatives, Abuja South, David Oroge, described Fredrick as a grassroots woman with the capacity to mobilise votes and win the election.
“I believe very strongly in her, and we’ve worked with her for a while, and I see her grassroots skills, especially the kind of soldiers that she marshals for the job. So I believe in her worth,” Oroge said.
He advised Nigerian youths to support the presidential candidate, whom he described as “a woman with pure hands and a pure heart, not to rule, but to lead.”
NAN
By Isa Abdul, Abuja
The Benue State Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Prof. Sebastine Hon, SAN has embarked on a statewide tour, consulting and assuring Benue communities, professional bodies, cultural groups and political stakeholders about the socio- economic fortunes awaiting them, once he is voted as governor in 2027.
The consultations tagged by followers as “Prof. Hon’s Vision for the Food Basket” have provided a veritable platform for robust interface between the governorship hopeful and citizens of Benue State.
From Makurdi to Otukpo,, Gboko to Ugba and Adikpo, the senior lawyer has met with farmers, traders, academics, traditional rulers, youth groups and political actors, listening more than he speaks.
From the intersections, there is no doubt
Security remains at the top of the agenda in every conversation.
Communities displaced by conflict have repeatedly urged Prof. Hon to initiate the process of returning them to their ancestral homes.
The governorship hopeful has pledged to prioritize security and social order, stressing that no development plan can succeed without peace.
Agriculture, Benue State’s s natural strength is central to his blueprint.
Prof. Hon has promised an off-take scheme in which government will purchase produce at harvest when prices are low, store and release them into the market at reasonable prices during periods of scarcity.
He argues that the arrangement will protect farmers from exploitation and shield urban consumers from price shocks, ensuring both producer and consumer benefit.
To boost productivity, he is proposing early delivery of farming inputs at subsidized prices.
Fertilizer, herbicides and improved seeds, he notes must reach farmers before planting season, not months after.
He also wants to revive storage infrastructure, including silos and warehouses to reduce post-harvest losses and stabilize prices.
Beyond farming, Prof. Hon’s consultations have highlighted the need for rural transformation, job creation and educational reform.
He maintains that development must move beyond Makurdi and reach the villages, where the majority of Benue people live.
Employment, he says, will be driven by agriculture, agro-processing and investment in skills training for young people.
The SDP candidate has also waded into governance issues. He spoke against the illegal exploitation of mineral resources in the state and pledged to enforce local government autonomy as provided by law, arguing that grassroots development depends on giving councils the resources and freedom to function.
Unity, he told audiences must be both a goal and a strategy, describing his vision as “unity of purpose and full development” for all Benue people, irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliation.
Prof. Hon’s background as a philanthropist and senior advocate has shaped the tone of the consultations.
Many of those he has met describe him as accessible, generous and selfless, with a clear passion for Benue’s progress.
Participants at several of the meetings have expressed admiration for his genuine concern for ordinary citizens and his willingness to engage directly with grassroots communities.
As political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 governorship election, there is growing anticipation among his supporters.
Many say they are ready to work assiduously for the success of the legal luminary, convinced that his experience, intellect and connection with the people position him to lead Benue State out of poverty and insecurity.
For Prof. Hon, the message from his consultations is clear: Benue State’s future lies in security, productive agriculture, functional education, rural transformation and a united people.
How these messages, engagements and goodwill can translate into votes in 2027 is what political watchers are waiting to see.
For now, the Food Basket tour continues and with it, Benue State’s conversation about the kind of leadership it wants next.
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