The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed reports claiming that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has validated and released a list of the party’s state chairmen across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement on Sunday, the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, said INEC had not confirmed any such list, either officially or unofficially, describing the reports as “fake news” intended to sow confusion within the party.
“The attention of the national leadership of the African Democratic Congress has been drawn to a widely circulated statement titled, ‘Coalition Update: INEC Confirms ADC State Chairmen Nationwide,’ which purports that INEC has released and validated a list of state chairmen for the ADC across the country.
“To the best of our knowledge and verification, INEC has issued no such confirmation,” Abdullahi stated.
He stressed that the recognition of party leadership is guided strictly by internal processes and the ADC constitution.
According to him, INEC only acknowledges names submitted through the appropriate channels after due diligence.
The spokesman also reiterated the party’s commitment to internal democracy, urging members and stakeholders to be wary of misinformation.
The clarification comes amid internal disputes within the ADC following INEC’s recognition of former Senate President David Mark as national chairman.
The development has sparked tensions, with the courts recently summoning Mark and the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, over leadership disagreements.
The party also dismissed claims of a court injunction restraining INEC from recognising the Mark-led faction, describing the reports as the handiwork of “desperate political jobbers.”