The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has refuted reports suggesting that a Federal High Court issued an order restraining its newly constituted leadership from performing their duties, describing the claims as false and a calculated attempt to mislead Nigerians.
Speaking at a press briefing, ADC leaders said they found the reports “curious” because the supposed injunction was said to have been issued against actions that had already taken place, including the recognition of the party’s new leadership by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Even as laymen, we know you cannot give an injunction against something that has already happened. The decision on our new leadership was taken at the 99th NEC meeting, duly observed by INEC and unanimously adopted. There is no court order reversing that decision,” a party leader explained.
According to the ADC, when the certified court ruling was eventually obtained, it became clear that the prayers brought before the court had been rejected outright, with the only instruction being that the party should appear before the court on September 15.
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The party alleged that individuals spreading the false story were directly linked to elements within government circles, which it described as part of a wider agenda to weaken opposition parties and drag Nigeria into a one-party state.
“This is the continuation of the same agents of destabilization. They want to use fake news and the judiciary to create confusion. But it will not hold water. Leadership of a political party is the internal business of that party, and the Supreme Court has settled this matter long ago,” the ADC maintained.
The ADC also reacted sharply to comments by a former presidential candidate who criticized its leadership, insisting that the individual was not even a member of the party. “A one-time presidential candidate does not own a political party. Being given a ticket in the past does not confer permanent authority. He has no business in this conversation,” the spokesperson said.
The party condemned attempts to discredit leaders on the basis of age or background, describing such rhetoric as “divisive, inflammatory, and unfit for someone who once aspired to be President of Nigeria.”
While stressing that it remains open to engaging with genuine aggrieved members, the ADC warned that it would not appease individuals acting with ulterior motives. “We are happy to talk to anyone who has legitimate grievances. But we cannot continue to appease people who want to filibuster and drag the party back. Nigerians deserve to see that ADC is focused on building, not permanent crisis,” the party noted.
Turning its attention to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the ADC described the Tinubu-led government as “the most divisive in Nigerian history,” accusing it of nepotism, sectionalism, and economic mismanagement. The party faulted the removal of fuel subsidy without adequate cushioning measures, the sharp devaluation of the naira, and new taxes including the proposed 5% petrol levy and aviation tax, warning that these policies are pushing millions deeper into poverty.
“Even if you pay ₦70,000 minimum wage, Nigerians are still below the poverty line. Instead of relief, this government is piling more burdens. They say we must make sacrifices, but while citizens suffer, leaders live in obscene opulence. Nigerians don’t even know where this government is driving the country,” the ADC declared.
The opposition party insisted that granting the APC another four years would be disastrous, likening its policies to “a father buying new cars while refusing to pay his children’s school fees.”
Highlighting its internal reforms, the ADC pointed to the appointment of young leaders and women into key positions within its National Working Committee (NWC), stressing that this was part of its deliberate agenda to groom the “successor generation” of Nigerian politicians. The party noted that for the first time in Nigeria’s political history, a woman in her early 30s now holds the office of Deputy National Secretary, alongside other young women below 35 serving as national officers with full voting rights in decision-making.
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“This is unprecedented. Unlike other parties where the only woman in the NWC is the woman leader, we have deliberately placed women and youths in core leadership positions. ADC is not a special-purpose vehicle for elections, but a real party for the future of Nigeria,” it stated.
The ADC dismissed claims that it lacked structure, insisting that its grassroots presence was already stronger than what it experienced in bigger parties. Leaders cited ward meetings with unprecedented turnout and growing popular support, arguing that the coalition backing the ADC ahead of the 2027 elections is “much bigger than the party itself.”
“This movement is about Nigerians who have rejected the direction APC is taking the country. Let them underestimate us. They will be shocked in 2027,” the party vowed.
