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BREAKING: INEC can’t stop us – ADC *Vows to go ahead with congresses
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Thursday, vowed to go ahead with its national congresses and convention scheduled for this month, regardless the de-recognition of the leadership of the David Mark leadership that has been conducting its affairs since last year.
Bolaji Abdullahi, its spokesman, said the party had before now notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that its congresses would commence on April 9, saying there was no question of backing down.
A guest of The Morning Show, a breakfast programme on ARISE NEWS Television, the ADC spokesman, made the declaration against the backdrop of the commission’s decision to de-recognise the Mark leadership.
INEC, in a statement, on Wednesday, signed by Mohammed Kudu, Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, had explained that based on the review of the decision of the Court of Appeal judgment on March 12 this year regarding the case, brought by Rafiu Bala Gombe, claiming to be the authentic leader, it had decided not to deal with either side of the factions.
The appellate court had ordered the party to maintain the status quo ante belum pending the decision of the Federal High Court, a decision the commission interpreted as not having any further dealings with the two parties, leading to the removal of the names of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and Secretary, respectively from its portal.
But Abdullahi, told his host on Thursday that the commission deliberately misinterpreted the appellate court’s order as a way of achieving a pre-determined goal of ensuring that President Bola Tinubu had no challenger in the 2027 election.
Maintaining the earlier position of the party that Gombe had resigned as an executive of the party in May last year, he said he had no locus to take the party to court and therefore could not be regarded as a faction.
He said: “The most important point today is that all this is part of an orchestration of the ruling party to distabilise the opposition. And it is very clear. Why is all these escalating few days after receiving Rabiu Kwankwaso in our party. We all know what is going on.
“We don’t have an internal problem. The problem we have is the problem orchestrated by the ruling party. The issue is that today, INEC has been bamboozled, INEC has been intimidated, INEC has succumbed to intimidation and they are determined to coronate President Bola Tinubu.
“As at today, we don’t trust INEC. INEC has shown that it is biased and that it is partisan and we’re going to respond appropriately. They said they’re not going to monitor or our congresses.
“One thing we are forgetting is that Ekiti election is coming, Osun election is coming. By derecognising the ADC, you are rendering it impossible to participate in those elections.
“INEC brought a timeline. It’s difficult to meet. We’ve served them a 21-day notice that our congresses start on April 9th. Now, by truncating the leadership of the ADC, they’re also disrupting the process.
“So, you can see where all this is going. If those processes are not completed, we’ll not be in a position to go to election in 2027. That’s why I say it’s a coronation process that they’re planning. When we keep saying that there is a plan to make President Bola Tinubu the only candidate on the ballot in 2027, people think we’re being hysteric. They think we are just bandying conspiracy theories.
“All this points to INEC trying to create a chaos. Now, asking people to go and vote is difficult enough. Now asking every single person that has a voter’s card to go to their polling units to revalidate those cards few months to the election is plain anarchy.
“It is sounding uncomfortably familiar. It is only that the democratic contest is what is making it look strange. If we are in a military rule, we can understand it. But we have found ourselves in a situation where everything is being done to ensure that the election in 2027 is a fair accompli and that Nigerians will be left with no option or no choice. But we have seen how this ended in the past.
“So, we’re saying, we’ll go ahead with our congresses. We had given INEC the notice, they had accepted the notice. So, whether they come or not, we’ll continue with our congresses, we’ll continue with our convention.”
Maintaining that INEC had no basis to toe the line it had decided, he argued that Nafiu Gombe, was being sponsored to disrupt the process, tracing the various developments that rendered his claim to the leadership of the party a non-issue.
His words: “Let me answer the fundamental question that as at the time the coalition was joining the ADC, Nafiu Gombe, was an official of the ADC. The answer is no! He resigned his position, May 17 as one of the six Deputy Chairmen, and INEC was duly notified.
“On August 12, 2025, INEC received a notice. So, INEC knows that as at May, 2025, Nafiu Gombe was no longer an official of the African Democratic Congress. But that is a different matter.
“But the most important point is that the Court of Appeal made a ruling and the summary of the consequential part of the ruling is that status quo ante belum be maintained. Now, this is the crux of the matter. Nafiu Gombe’s lawyers are interpreting it to mean the state of things before he went to court on September 2nd.
“But this is not the correct representation of what happened. On July 29th ADC had a NEC meeting in Abuja, attended by INEC. And in that NEC meeting, one of the resolutions was dissolution the National Working Committee. It was on the basis of that that INEC recognised David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola and uploaded it on its website.
“Now if the Court of Appeal is say go back to the status quo, Nafiu Gombe went to court on September 2nd. This NEC meeting happened on 29th of July and he went to court on second of September, INEC is now saying, our recognition of David Mark came on the 9th of September. That’s after he had gone to court.
“But that is an administrative issue. Whether you recognised it in 2026 or 2025 does not matter. The action was taken on July 29th and concluded. INEC knew about it and it was on that basis that INEC acted.
“To say that status quo ante belum was on the 9th of September is dubious and it is contrary to what the Court of Appeal ruled. Now let us even assume that we go back to the status quo before even David Mark, at the time NEC took the decision, ADC had leadership. So, if we must go further back, it means that Ralph Nwosu is the Chairman of ADC.
“So, the court would not have envisaged a situation where ADC, according to INEC did not have a leadership. What INEC has done effectively is to violate the directives of the appeal court. And that is criminal. INEC today is behaving like a criminal organisation.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has denied reports that it is selling scrap materials, equipment, or components from its refineries to individuals and private companies.
A Friday statement titled ‘Fraudulent Claims on Sale of Refinery Scrap and Equipment’ issued by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, in Abuja, described the circulating reports as misleading and false.
“The Company wishes to categorically state that this information is untrue. NNPC Limited has not issued any request for bids, tenders, expressions of interest, or approvals for the sale of scrap materials, refinery components, or any items from the warehouses or inventories of any of its refineries”.
It also distanced itself from persons reportedly presenting themselves as the company’s representatives or agents, claiming to facilitate the sale of so-called “scrap metals” or refinery equipment.
“These individuals are not authorised by NNPC Limited and are attempting to mislead members of the public.”
The Company therefore advised the public, corporate organisations, and industry stakeholders to disregard any such claims or solicitations and to exercise caution in dealing with anyone making such representations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, NNPC Limited is not conducting, nor has it authorised, any sale of scrap metals, equipment, or refinery components from any of its facilities”, the statement added, saying that any legitimate disposal of assets by NNPC Limited will only be conducted through established and transparent processes, publicly communicated through the Company’s official channels and in accordance with applicable regulations.
“Members of the public who encounter individuals or entities making such claims are encouraged to report the matter to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.
“NNPC Limited remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the responsible management of national energy assets”, the statement added.
“Disorder cannot be rebranded as authenticity simply because it occurs in public. The allegations regarding judicial interference are equally speculative and irresponsible,” were the words with which the Presidency, pushed back on Saturday to the allegation suppression of democracy in Nigeria by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Sunday Dare, spokesman to President Bola in a quick riposte after the ADC’s National Legislators Serving and Former Forum criticised President Bola Tinubu over remarks describing the convention as “noise and a street convention,” dismissed the coalition party as suffering from internal disarray.
Ukeje, on the heels of the ADC national convention recently at the Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja, despite a last-minute alleged attempt to block the gathering had argued that Nigeria is at a critical democratic juncture and accused the administration of shrinking political space.
The group also referenced Tinubu’s past as an opposition leader who once advocated political pluralism and judicial independence, saying his current leadership posture appears inconsistent with those democratic values.
Dare, who described the ADC as a party struggling to maintain “coherence and balance” in a statement titled: ‘WHAT’S THAT NOISE! Response to Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje and the ADC Forum of National Legislators- Nigeria’s latest bunch of conspiracy theorists,’ wrote: “Even before the official commencement of the election season and before the Polls open, the “opposition”, a hurriedly stitched together contraption in search of a launch pad are screaming blue murder.
“The script is familiar: attack and blackmail the President, discredit and second guess the electoral process and hold Press briefings to flaunt unsubstantiated allegations and lies against the administration.
“All of these so that the international community will “help” them. In Honorable Nnenna, the ADC legislators found someone fit for the role. As former chair, foreign affairs committee, 7th and 8th House of Representatives she was their best voice.
“Sadly, ADC will need more than the sophistry and phonetics in her delivery. Let’s begin to tear apart her claims and that of her ADC Forum. The so-called ADC National Legislators Coalition delivered an outing remarkably full of theatrics but expectedly short on substance, restraint, and constitutional fidelity.
“What Nigerians just witnessed from the ADC motley crowed is not a principled defense of democracy, but a calculated attempt to weaponize rhetoric, manufacture outrage, and distract from internal disarray within a political party struggling to maintain coherence and balance. Ironically, the ADC press conference began on a note of truth.
“In their own words, they painstakingly chronicled the democratic credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—his historic role in strengthening opposition politics, expanding democratic space, defending pluralism, and standing firm even under military and authoritarian pressures.
“They reminded Nigerians that he mobilized resistance, nurtured political contestation, and remained a central pillar in sustaining democratic governance.
“On that point, they were correct and that is because they could not change that solid democratic foundation and narrative of President Bola Tinubu. Let’s give them some acknowledgement for stating it plainly.
“But having established those facts, they took a curious turn—attempting, without evidence, to portray the very same individual as a threat to the democratic values he has consistently upheld.
“That contradiction is not just weak—it is intellectually untenable. A leader’s record is not a switch that flips overnight. The same discipline, convictions, and democratic instincts that defined President Tinubu’s political journey have not suddenly evaporated.
“You cannot spend the first half of a press conference affirming a man’s lifelong commitment to democracy, and the second half alleging—without proof—that he has abandoned it. It simply does not hold.
“On the specific issue that triggered this reaction: the President did not mention the ADC—by name or by implication. His remarks were general, as is consistent with his style as a national leader addressing a broad audience.”
Dare noted that the decision by the ADC to assume those remarks were directed at them is, at best, an exercise in self-indictment. If the description of “noise” resonates, perhaps the issue is not with the statement—but with the conduct it reflects.
“This is not a matter of suppression; it is a matter of standards. Democracy thrives on competition, yes—but it also demands organization, coherence, and credibility. Disorder cannot be rebranded as authenticity simply because it occurs in public. The allegations regarding judicial interference are equally speculative and irresponsible.
“Nigeria’s judiciary remains constitutionally independent, and no amount of conjecture can substitute for evidence. Attempting to cast doubt on the integrity of the courts based on political disagreements is a dangerous path—one that weakens institutions rather than protects them.”
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League as Eberechi Eze’s rocket sealed a tense but vital 1-0 win against Newcastle on Saturday.
For the first time since October, Arsenal had started a league game out of pole position after Manchester City’s 1-0 win at Burnley on Wednesday sent them to the summit.
But Eze lifted the Gunners back into first place with his sublime strike in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.
Eze’s 10th goal this season opened up a three-point lead over second-placed City, who were booking their place in the FA Cup final with a 2-1 win against Southampton, while Arsenal were in league action.
It was an essential victory for Arsenal, whose 2-1 defeat at City last weekend was a huge blow to their title hopes.
After losing just three of their first 49 matches in all competitions this season, Arsenal had been beaten in four of the previous six, suffering successive league defeats for the first time since 2023.
Having blown substantial leads in the title race in 2023 and 2024, allowing City to pip them in the trophy, the north Londoners’ recent slump has left them in danger of squandering another golden opportunity to win their first English crown since 2004.
City have a game in hand on Arsenal, keeping the destiny of the title in their hands.
However, they do not play their next league game until May 4 when they visit Everton, giving Arsenal the chance to move six points clear when they host Fulham next weekend.
Before that, Arsenal visit Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.
City’s win against Burnley had ended Arsenal’s 209-day run as leaders due to their superior goals scored tally.
While Arsenal are back on top with a one-goal better goal difference than City, their failure to run up the score on toothless Newcastle could come back to haunt them.
Newcastle have been in even worse form than Arsenal, and this was their ninth defeat in 12 league games, adding to the pressure on under-fire boss Eddie Howe.
Eze drilled narrowly wide from the edge of the area, a warning that Newcastle failed to heed as the England midfielder put Arsenal ahead in the ninth minute.
Once again, Arsenal’s set-piece mastery paid dividends, but Newcastle were guilty of woeful defending.
Martin Odegaard found Kai Havertz inside the area, and he teed up Eze — left unmarked in virtually the same position as his shot moments earlier — to smash a superb curler into the top corner from 18 yards.
Arsenal’s 17th goal from a corner this season set a new Premier League record for a single campaign.
After playing just six short corners in the league all season prior to facing Newcastle, Arteta’s men deployed three in the first half alone to exploit a vulnerability in the visitors’ defence.
Arsenal were far from flawless themselves, and keeper David Raya was almost caught out by Sandro Tonali’s dipping drive from distance.
Havertz limped off in the 34th minute to extend his injury-plagued season.
And there was more bad news for Arteta on the injury front when Eze was forced off early in the second half.
Arsenal lost their rhythm after the injuries, and Yoane Wissa should have made them pay when he volleyed over from eight yards.
Arsenal’s anxiety was palpable in the stands and on the pitch as Dan Burn’s header was clutched by Raya in the closing stages.
Shaking his head on the touchline, Arteta breathed a sigh of relief as a gripping title race took another twist.
Caveat: Beware of fraudsters! *NNPC not selling off assets!
Presidency to ADC: You can’t bully yourself to power! No vacancy in the Villa
Eze fires Arsenal back to top of Premier League table
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