ADC Denies Report of INEC Releasing List of State Chairmen

The African Democratic Congress has dismissed claims that the Independent National Electoral Commission validated and released a list of its state chairmen across the country.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the report circulating in some sections of the media was fabricated and intended to sow confusion within the ADC. He made the clarification through his official X handle, stressing that INEC had given no such confirmation “either officially or unofficially.”

According to him, the purported list of state chairmen said to have been endorsed by INEC was nothing more than “fake news.”

“The attention of the national leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been drawn to a widely circulated statement titled ‘Coalition Update: INEC Confirms ADC State Chairmen Nationwide,’ which purports that the Independent National Electoral Commission has released and validated a list of State Party Chairmen for the ADC across the country,” Abdullahi said.

He explained that leadership ratification is strictly an internal process guided by the party’s constitution, and that INEC’s role is limited to acknowledging properly submitted records after due process.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission, to the best of our knowledge and verification, has issued no such confirmation, neither officially nor unofficially. INEC only recognises what the party submits through the appropriate channels after due process. As of today, no such comprehensive list has been submitted or confirmed by INEC,” he added.

The ADC spokesman urged members and stakeholders to remain vigilant against misinformation, reaffirming the party’s commitment to discipline and internal democracy.

The clarification comes at a time of heightened tension within the ADC, following a leadership tussle that saw INEC recently recognise former Senate President David Mark as national chairman.

The dispute has also spilled into the courts, with both Mark and the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, summoned over issues surrounding the changes. The ADC, however, has rejected suggestions of a court injunction barring INEC from recognising the Mark-led leadership, dismissing such reports as another round of fake news by what it called “desperate political jobbers.”