ADC Accuses APC Of Fresh Moves To Undermine Opposition
•••Raises Alarm Over “Sponsored Protest” Against David Mark
•••Cries Foul, Alleges Plot To Seize Party Structure
•By Admin
ABUJA —- BARELY 24 hours after exposing what it described as a calculated attempt to strong-arm the electoral umpire, the African Democratic Congress has again sounded the alarm over what it calls a deepening political conspiracy against its structure and leadership.
The party said it had earlier revealed a “sinister plot” allegedly orchestrated by agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission into taking unlawful steps aimed at destabilising the ADC, particularly in the wake of the high-profile defection of Rabiu Kwankwaso to its fold.
But in what appears to be a rapid escalation, the party disclosed that fresh intelligence points to an imminent protest scheduled for Thursday, April 2, in Abuja, allegedly being backed by “a particularly notorious minister.”
According to the party, such a protest is not organic but strategic—designed to influence an already faltering legal battle.
The ADC stated that “Their expectation is that a protest will give oxygen to a case already suffocating in the courts under the weight of its own illegality.”
This position was made public in a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on his X handle.
Describing a shift in tactics by its alleged opponents, he said, “after meeting a brick wall with INEC, they have now changed tactics, but the objectives remain the same.”
He further laid out what the party believes is the blueprint behind the planned action, adding, “the plan is simple: a paid crowd, posturing as aggrieved party members, will take to the streets demanding ‘David Mark Must Go.’ This, they hope, will create ‘public pressure’ on the INEC Chairman to magically upgrade and recognise an individual who resigned his position and was subsequently expelled from the ADC, to the position of National Chairman of a party he no longer belongs to.”
At the heart of the controversy is the leadership tussle involving David Mark, which the ADC insisted is being externally manipulated as part of a broader agenda.
The party warned that what is unfolding goes beyond internal wrangling, framing it instead as a coordinated attempt to weaken what it described as the country’s “only viable opposition platform.”
It said: “The plan by the ruling APC government to hijack the leadership of the ADC, the only viable opposition party left in the country, is real. If anything, it has assumed a new level of desperation in the past few days. They are not just afraid of our momentum. They are afraid of what happens when the Nigerian people start paying attention and begin to believe that change is possible.”
While reaffirming its commitment to due process, the party maintained that it would not fold its arms in the face of what it considers political intimidation.
“ADC remains focused on our duty to Nigerians, and we shall remain law-abiding. We will, however, resist by all lawful and necessary means,” the statement read.
It also called on Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, warning of potential consequences if the alleged actions are left unchecked, adding, “If they are not acting on his orders, President Tinubu should rein in his enforcers before it is too late.”
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