Dumebi Kachikwu, the 2023 African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, has condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for recognizing former Senate President David Mark as the party’s national chairman, calling the decision “irresponsible.” Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Kachikwu expressed his lack of confidence in INEC’s current leadership, accusing it of undermining ongoing court cases involving the ADC leadership dispute.
“Nigerians know the David Mark-led faction of the ADC is on borrowed time,” Kachikwu said. “INEC’s action is another irresponsible move by its outgoing chairman. It’s standard practice to respect court cases and avoid actions that could influence their outcomes. The courts will rule on our matter with David Mark’s faction next month, and Nigerians will see the outcome.”
Kachikwu criticized the coalition of opposition politicians, including Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, and others like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and Dino Melaye, who were unveiled as the new ADC leadership on July 2, 2025. He argued that Nigeria’s status as a “failed nation” stems from recycled politicians who have consistently failed to deliver good governance. “These are people who cannot survive outside political office, returning only to enrich themselves and their allies,” he said, questioning their ability to rebuild a nation they “destroyed.”
Rejecting calls to align with the Mark-led ADC, Kachikwu challenged the notion that only veteran politicians can rescue Nigeria. “In a country of over 200 million people, are we saying only these former officeholders can save us? What about my generation and those after us? Are we saying those who ballooned our debts and failed to provide infrastructure are the ones to save Nigeria from themselves? I believe Nigeria has capable people ready to serve.”
INEC’s recognition of Mark as chairman and Aregbesola as national secretary followed the emergence of the new ADC leadership, which also includes figures like Solomon Dalong, Dele Momodu, Emeka Ihedioha, and Sadique Abubakar. The party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, defended the recognition, urging opponents to seek redress in court. He clarified that on September 4, 2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, rejected an ex parte application to restrain Mark and Aregbesola from acting as ADC leaders. The court instead ordered the defendants to appear and show cause, adjourning the case to September 15, 2025.
Abdullahi accused those opposing the new leadership of spreading misinformation and resorting to “desperate” tactics to destabilize the ADC. “Having failed to block INEC’s acknowledgment of the leadership change, these political jobbers are now peddling fake news and misrepresenting court rulings to sow confusion and undermine opposition parties,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
