Kwankwasiyya Decries INEC’s ‘Delisting’ of David Mark-Led ADC

​The Kwankwasiyya Movement has raised an alarm over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to withdraw recognition from the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as a calculated threat to Nigeria’s democratic stability.

​In a strongly-worded statement issued on Friday by the movement’s spokesperson, Habibu Mohammed, the group characterized the move as part of a “dangerous pattern” of administrative and judicial interference. The movement argued that the electoral umpire’s conduct, combined with inconsistent court rulings, is systematically paralyzing opposition platforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.

​A Pattern of Institutional Erosion

​The controversy stems from INEC’s recent announcement that it would no longer recognize the David Mark-led faction or the rival Rafiu Bala group, pending a final judicial determination. This follows a leadership vacuum created when former Senate President David Mark and former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola took the reins of the ADC in 2025 to form a formidable opposition coalition.

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​“Recent developments surrounding the leadership crisis within the ADC have once again exposed the fragile state of Nigeria’s democratic institutions,” Mohammed stated. He noted that similar “judicial confusion” has previously crippled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

​Concerns Over Neutrality

​The Kwankwasiyya Movement expressed deep concern that INEC, rather than acting as a stabilizing force, is reinforcing public distrust. The group highlighted the “growing disregard for the doctrine of stare decisis“—where courts of coordinate jurisdiction issue conflicting orders—as a primary tool for political manipulation.

​“Democracy cannot survive where political parties are incapacitated by judicial confusion and where the electoral umpire is perceived to be complicit in the suppression of competition,” the statement added.

​The movement called for a return to established legal principles to protect the rights of Nigerians to freely choose their leaders, warning that the “shrinking of the political space” poses a long-term risk to the nation’s future.