The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) received a petition submitted by the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday.

The petition, submitted by the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, was received by INEC National Commissioner, Abdullahi Zuru, a professor.

The content of the petition is yet unclear.

However, the ADC has repeatedly called for the removal of the INEC Chairperson, Joash Amupitan, a professor, accusing him of deliberately misinterpreting an order of the Court of Appeal to suspend the party’s recognition.

The ADC, led by Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Peter Obi, staged a peaceful protest and marched from Maitama Junction to the INEC headquarters in the Maitama District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The trio were the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, but were defeated by President Bola Tinubu, then the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Others present at the protest include the party’s factional National Chairman, David Mark; National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola; Aminu Tambuwal, a serving senator; Rotimi Amaechi and former senator Dino Melaye.

The protesters carried placards and banners with inscriptions that read: “Tinubu, let our Democracy breathe”, “Falle daya ce, one term president” and “I stand with ADC, I stand with Democracy” among others.

The opposition party had accused the electoral body of siding with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to block its chances of fielding candidates in 2027.

Background

INEC had suspended the recognition of the ADC last week, in compliance with the Court of Appeal ruling that directed the parties to the suit at the Federal High Court, including INEC, to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the leadership crisis in the opposition party.

Mr Bala had challenged Mr Mark’s emergence as the party’s national chairman following the resignation of Ralph Nwosu from the position.

He insisted that he (Bala) should assume leadership of the party after Mr Nwosu’s resignation, in line with the party’s constitution. The case is still pending at the Federal High Court.

Meanwhile, Mr Mark’s camp filed an interlocutory appeal ahead of the Federal High Court’s judgment, but was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

In dismissing the appeal, the appellate court also asked all parties to maintain the status quo pending the lower court’s ruling on the substantive suit.

In compliance with the order, INEC stopped dealing with any of the factions until the case at the Federal High Court is determined.

“The court also ordered that parties should maintain status quo ante bellum and should not do anything that will foist a fait accompli on the trial court or render the proceedings nugatory,” INEC Chairperson, Joash Amupitan, a professor, explained in an interview with Arise TV.

But the Mark-led faction disagreed with the electoral commission, accusing it of willfully misinterpreting the judgment. It demanded the resignation of Mr Amupitan and other national commissioners of the electoral body.

Meanwhile, another faction claiming the ADC’s leadership emerged on Tuesday.

At a press conference in Abuja, some state chairmen of the party and its other senior members loyal to its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Dumebi Kachikwu, backed INEC’s decision to stop dealing with Mark and Bala’s factions.