…FHC Hears Fresh Deregistration Suit May 5
…Obi, Makinde Parley in Ibadan
By Peter Salami
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is battling on multiple fronts for its political survival ahead of the 2027 elections, as a leadership crisis, legal threats of deregistration, and high-stakes opposition realignments converge in a dramatic test of the party’s future.
At the heart of the crisis, the faction loyal to former Senate President David Mark has written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, urging an expedited ruling on the party’s protracted leadership dispute currently before the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
In a letter dated April 28 and signed by senior advocate Shuaibu Aruwa, the Mark faction warned that any further delay in judgment could effectively shut the ADC out of the 2027 general elections. The court had earlier reserved judgment on April 22 after hearing arguments from both sides in the tussle between the Mark-led National Working Committee and a rival faction.
The party argued that without a swift decision, within days, it risks missing critical deadlines under the Electoral Act, thereby losing its legal footing to field candidates. It described the situation as an existential threat that could disenfranchise millions of its supporters.
Compounding the crisis, a fresh suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeks to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside other parties, including Accord, Zenith Labour Party, and Action Alliance.
Justice Peter Lifu has fixed May 5 for hearing the suit, stressing its urgency given the proximity of party primaries. The plaintiffs argue that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional thresholds for electoral participation, including vote spread and grassroots representation, and should therefore be struck off the register.
While the courts deliberate on the parties’ fate, ADC leaders are simultaneously pushing forward with opposition coalition talks aimed at unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In Ibadan, Peter Obi held a closed-door meeting with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, in what insiders describe as part of ongoing strategic consultations to strengthen opposition cohesion. The meeting comes on the heels of a broader summit of opposition figures in the Oyo State capital and follows Obi’s recent engagement with former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Though details of the Ibadan talks remain undisclosed, sources say they are tied to efforts to forge a united front under the ADC platform amid growing momentum for a coalition involving major political heavyweights.
Amid the shifting alliances, ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi pushed back against what he described as attempts by the APC to distort Governor Makinde’s recent remarks on Nigeria’s democratic climate. He insisted the governor’s comments were a caution against shrinking democratic space, not a provocation.
“Twisting Makinde’s words won’t change the facts,” Abdullahi said, warning that undermining democratic processes could trigger instability.