The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has set May 12, 2026, as the date for the swearing-in of its new state executives and chairmen across the country.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said this in a statement. He congratulated the officials after what he called the successful running of the party’s state congresses across the country.
The party says that the congresses were peaceful and well-organized, which shows that it is committed to democratic values and running the party from within.
The ADC praised party members and other interested parties in the statement for what it called a disciplined and grown-up election process.
The party said that the way the congresses were run showed that they were committed to openness, democracy within the party, and following the law.
Abdullahi said that the elections were held in full compliance with the party’s constitution and other laws that govern how political parties can operate.
He said that the results of the congresses were another step in the party’s efforts to make its internal structures stronger all over the country.
Inauguration on May 12
The statement said that the inauguration of the newly elected officials would happen on May 12, 2026, but the party said that the date could be changed if necessary.
The party said that any change to the planned date would be told to the National Working Committee.
The ADC told the new state executives and chairmen to stay true to the party’s goals and vision as they take on their leadership duties.
The party also asked the officials to work closely with National Chairman David Mark to make the party stronger across the federation.
It stressed that party leaders at all levels would need to work together, be disciplined, and be dedicated to the task ahead.
The party’s statement says that they are still committed to making themselves a credible political option for Nigerians.
The ADC also said it was sure that the new state executives would help the party grow its structures and get more people involved across the country.
The announcement comes at a time when the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are still arguing about how the ADC’s congresses and planned convention should be run.
Prof. Joash Amupitan, the National Chairman of INEC, had already told the party not to hold its congresses and convention because doing so could break court orders that are already in place.
The ADC, on the other hand, ignored the warning and said it would go ahead with its internal processes.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary said that INEC had misinterpreted the Court of Appeal’s order to keep things the same in the dispute that was affecting the party.
The ADC said that the commission’s stance was a misinterpretation of the court’s ruling and could even be seen as contempt of court.
ADC Says INEC Went Too Far
The party also said that INEC went too far in its role as a supervisor by trying to stop what it called legal internal party activities.
The ADC says that disagreements within a political party do not stop its democratic processes.
“ADC needs to respond to fix a number of legal and factual errors.” The statement said, “The Commission wants to make it seem like its position is based on law and neutrality, but the Chairman’s own words show that he has fundamentally misapplied both constitutional principles and judicial directives.”
It also said that the commission’s use of Nigeria’s multi-party system as a defense for its actions was wrong.
“First, the Chairman’s repeated claim that INEC is only doing what it is allowed to do within a ‘multi-party constitutional order’ is, with all due respect, a distraction from the main point. Nigerians need to ask themselves not if Nigeria is still a multi-party state in theory, but if INEC’s actions are making it harder for opposition parties to organize and work freely.
“The ADC hasn’t said that multi-party democracy has been abolished in form; instead, it has raised concerns about actions that, in effect, make it weaker. The party went on to say, “The Chairman’s use of the fact that there are multiple parties as proof of neutrality does not address the specific behavior being looked at.”
