Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso and ADC leaders protest alleged INEC partisanship

On April 8, 2026, leaders of the African Democratic Congress, led by Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, and Rotimi Amaechi, among other party stakeholders, led a peaceful protest in Abuja against what they describe as the partisanship of Nigeria's electoral empire, INEC.

In a post on his X account, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the protest as a patriotic stance to safeguard Nigeria's democracy and prevent the enthronement of dictatorship. The protest comes days after the ADC held a world press conference to address the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend the recognition of the David Mark-led executive committee following a decision of the Court of Appeal.

"Myself and other leaders of the ADC are peacefully protesting against the partisanship of the electoral umpire. Our patriotic stance is aimed at safeguarding our democracy and preventing the enthronement of a dictatorship."

INEC's decision followed the suit filed in the Federal High Court, Abuja, by Honourable Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is laying claim to the chairmanship of the ADC. The Court of Appeal had ordered the Federal High Court to grant an expedited hearing of the suit and ordered all parties to maintain the status quo.

The ADC held that INEC's decision to delist David Mark's led executive was a deliberate misinterpretation of the court's judgment. The party also accused INEC of partisanship by being a willing tool of the ruling party's plan to destabilise the ADC and entrench a one-party system in Nigeria.

Speaking on the protest, Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra state and one of ADC's leaders, called it a defense of Nigeria's democracy. In a post on his X account, the 2023 Presidential candidate called on well-meaning Nigerians to join the ADC in demanding that the country doesn't slip into a one-party state.

"We, members and leaders of the ADC, and other well-meaning Nigerians, lovers of democracy, are saying that our democracy must not be killed. We say NO to a one-party system and for that today we’re calling out Nigerians who believe in unity, peace, and security of our country to join us as we defend democracy in our land."

The African Democratic Congress action will further put pressure on INEC, which is currently under heavy public scrutiny over its decision to delist the David Mark-led ADC executive committee. Recently, INEC announced the suspension of the nationwide voters revalidation exercise following massive criticism and pushback from Nigerians who called it another means of disenfranchising the masses ahead of the 2027 general elections.