As political activities gradually build toward the 2027 general elections, leaders of several civil society and youth-based organisations have appealed to the warring factions within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to settle their differences without involving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The groups made the appeal during a visit to the electoral commission’s headquarters, where they expressed concern over recent demonstrations staged by rival camps within the party.
Speaking on behalf of the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN), its Executive Director, Ambassador Blessing Akinlosotu, said it was inappropriate for internal party disagreements to be shifted to the commission’s doorstep.
He maintained that disputes surrounding the competing factions reportedly aligned with David Mark and Nafiu Bala should be handled through the party’s internal mechanisms and legal channels, rather than through protests capable of disrupting the commission’s activities.
According to him, INEC must be allowed to concentrate on its constitutional responsibilities, especially as the nation inches closer to another election cycle.
Also lending his voice, the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Babangida Isah, cautioned against attempts to draw the electoral body into partisan controversies.
He said Nigerian youths would oppose any move capable of undermining the neutrality and independence of INEC, stressing that the commission must remain insulated from political infighting.
Isah further praised President Bola Tinubu for appointing what he described as a capable INEC chairman, adding that the chairman’s legal expertise should help strengthen adherence to democratic principles and the rule of law.
Similarly, Comrade Jethro Annum, President of the Nigerian Youth Congress, described INEC as an impartial institution whose mandate is strictly to conduct and supervise elections, not to mediate party leadership tussles.
He warned that efforts to politicise the commission could heighten public anxiety and create avoidable tension within the polity.
Annum also observed that the ADC remains only one among many opposition parties and should therefore address its internal concerns without dragging young Nigerians into matters that are essentially partisan.
He advised youths across the country to focus more on personal growth, economic empowerment and nation-building.
Offering a legal perspective, the Director of Programmes at NCSCN, Oscar Kalu, stated that the council’s position is backed by existing judicial pronouncements.
He noted that the dispute within the ADC has persisted since mid-2025 and has already been considered by the courts.
According to Kalu, the Court of Appeal had earlier directed that the status quo ante bellum be preserved, effectively restoring the party’s leadership arrangement as it existed before the crisis began.
He therefore called on all parties involved to obey the court ruling and refrain from actions capable of deepening the crisis.
The groups collectively urged political stakeholders to respect judicial decisions, uphold democratic norms and allow INEC to focus fully on preparations for credible and transparent elections in 2027.