The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, may have baffled prominent leaders and frontline presidential aspirants of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, who include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi; as well as other leaders like former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, etc., with the resolution to suspend recognition of ADC leadership.

The Commission suspended its recognition of the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Wednesday, threatening to delete the names of current party leaders from its official portal, following a high-stake legal battles.

The Commission announced that it will no longer deal with any faction of the ADC or monitor its conventions until a definitive ruling is reached by the Federal High Court.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, in a statement in Abuja, assured of the Commission’s commitment to “neutrality, impartiality, and strict compliance with judicial orders” as the country prepares for the 2027 General Elections.

ADC has been battling with internal leadership rivalries since the defection of Atiku and other prominent political actors to the party in the buildup to the 2027 general elections.

The power bloc, led by former Senate President David Mark, took over the National Working Committee, NWC, following the resignation of the previous chairman in July 2025.

The other divide is led by Nafiu Gombe, a former Vice-National Chairman, who claims he is the rightful acting chairman, under the party’s constitution.

The conflagrations escalated into a series of legal battles. The Court of Appeal recently ordering all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum, until the substantive suit is determined.

In response to the court’s directive, INEC reached several critical resolutions during its meeting on March 31, 2026, including plans to remove the names of the National Working Committee members, led by Senator David Mark from its portal. These names had been uploaded in September 2025, days after a lawsuit challenging their authority had been filed among other decisions.