Nigeria’s opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused allies of President Bola Tinubu of plotting to derail its growing influence by backing legal action against its newly installed interim leadership.
The party recently named former Senate President David Mark and ex-Governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim chairman and national secretary. This decision, announced by former ADC chairman Ralph Nwosu, has triggered backlash from figures such as former presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu and Benue ADC chairman Elias Adikwu, who claimed proper procedures were ignored. “They cannot come and take over from those who built it,” Adikwu insisted.
Three party members have since petitioned the Federal High Court in Abuja, questioning the legality of the appointments and arguing that the ADC constitution lacks provisions for interim roles. They have asked the court to declare the appointments of Mark, Aregbesola, and former minister Bolaji Abdullahi as unconstitutional and null.
In a strongly worded statement, ADC spokesperson Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi accused presidential aides of attempting to “coerce and co-opt” party officials from northern states during secret meetings. “This is not about national security. It is a coordinated effort to weaken the opposition,” he alleged.
The ADC warned that such tactics could undermine multiparty democracy. “This is how one-party states are created—through intimidation and manipulation,” Abdullahi said, adding that the ruling party had been rattled by the launch of the new opposition coalition under the ADC banner.
He urged President Tinubu to call his advisers to order and demonstrate his commitment to democratic values. “The president should remember that if the previous administration had acted this way, he would never have been elected,” Abdullahi said.
At the time of reporting, the presidency had yet to respond to repeated requests for comment.
