Abuja: National Publicity Secretary of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has denied that there is factional leadership within the party.
Abdullahi insisted that ADC recognised only the leadership headed by a former Senate President, David Mark, as legitimate and constitutionally recognised.
Abdullahi made this known during a pre-collation of the ADC presidential primary election news conference held in Abuja on Monday, ahead of the declaration of results.
Abdullahi said the Supreme Court had affirmed the legitimacy of the party’s leadership. This was under Mark and former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
He stated that records on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal clearly reflected the party’s recognised leadership structure.
“We can’t start referring to a group of people who meet in a room to entertain themselves as a faction of ADC.
“This matter has gone up to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land.
It affirmed that there’s only one leadership, which is that of the former Senate President David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola,” he said.
The ADC spokesman said the party had met all constitutional and electoral requirements. This included submission of membership registers and notifications for INEC-monitored congresses.
It disclosed that ADC had 3,444,000 registered members, as recorded in official submissions to INEC following a verification and cleanup exercise.
He challenged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to produce verifiable membership records submitted to INEC. He dismissed claims of millions of registered members as misleading.
According to him, inflated membership claims by APC were intended to create false impressions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Also speaking, ADC National Organising Secretary Chinedu Idigo said the party had put in place careful processes. These processes ensure the emergence of competent candidates.
They aid the party’s selection process, covering candidates for state assembly seats, governorship positions, National Assembly seats, and the ongoing presidential primary election.
He expressed confidence that the party’s processes would ensure the emergence of credible leaders capable of serving Nigerians effectively after the elections.
The organThe organising secretary confirmed that INEC officials monitored the party’s presidential primary election across the federation.
He noted that this complied with electoral guidelines and regulations. The party provided INEC with all the statutory notices required for the effective supervision of congresses and primary elections held across various states.
Earlier, the chairman of the presidential primary election committee, Chief Ikechi Emenike, announced the commencement of activities for the presidential primary election ahead of the 2027 polls.
Emenike said the exercise would produce the party’s presidential candidate. He said this would be through a transparent, inclusive, and democratic electoral process.
According to him, ADC remains committed to internal democracy at a time democratic values were allegedly declining within Nigeria’s broader political environment and party structures.
He said the party rejected imposition, manipulation of consensus, and predetermined outcomes, opting instead for a credible process that guaranteed equal opportunities for qualified aspirants.
Emenike said that ADC was distinguished by having three credible presidential aspirants capable of effectively leading Nigeria through its current economic and political challenges.
“The aspirants are former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen,” he said.
Emenike described Atiku as a democrat and nation builder. Amaechi was credited with supervising major transport infrastructure projects as minister.
He described Hayatu-Deen as one of Nigeria’s leading development economists, businessmen and former chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group.
He said participation by the three aspirants showed ADC’s commitment to democracy and dialogue.
He stressed this allowed open contestation of ideas among party members and stakeholders to ensure only verified figures were counted during the exercise, stressing that the party was committed to transparent electoral processes.