Photo: #Occupy INEC Protest

Coalition of opposition political leaders and supporters on Wednesday rejected ‘one-party’ system of government for the country ahead of the 2027 general election, and appealing to the INEC , ” Don’t Kill Nigeria’s Democracy.”

Following military rules for 34 years (1965-1999), Nigeria has been practicing democracy, ” government “of the people, by the people, for the people“, for 27 years (1999-2026) with former President Olusegun Obasanjo the first democratically elected president.

Said Peter Obi on the sidelines of the rally: We are simply holding a peaceful demonstration to say that we cannot have a one-party system in our country.

“Nigeria is a democratic nation. We are appealing to those in government: do not destroy our democracy. We need it for our children and for generations to come. Nigerians must have the freedom to choose who leads them. This is critical for our country,” said Peter Obi

Buttressing, the former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its handling of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) leadership crisis, describing the electoral body as partisan and lacking neutrality.

“Today, I joined fellow coalition leaders and committed democrats to strongly condemn the blatant partisanship and compromised neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” he said.

The protest was led by prominent opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rauf Aregbesola, Kwankwaso, and Rotimi Amaechi.Participants gathered at INEC headquarters to demand electoral accountability following the commission’s decision to derecognise the faction of the ADC led by David Mark.

Photo credit: Imran Muhammad/x

LEADERS of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) party on Wednesday led a protest to the headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja, defying steady rain to demand electoral accountability following the commission’s decision to derecognise the faction of the ADC led by David Mark as tensions build ahead of the 2027 elections.

Among those present were David Mark, former Senate President; Rauf Aregbesola, former Governor of Osun State and ex-Minister of Interior; Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate; Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement; and Dino Melaye, former Senator representing Kogi West, alongside other political figures.

The protesters had earlier gathered at David Mark’s residence, where a morning service was held to mark his 78th birthday, before moving out in a coordinated march.

From Apo Legislative Quarters, the crowd surged towards the INEC office, swelling along the way and taking over major roads in the Federal Capital Territory.

What began as a protest linked to a faction of the party quickly grew into something bigger.

People from different political parties and groups joined in, turning it into a broad coalition rally focused on defending democracy and questioning the credibility of the electoral system.

Muyideen Bashiru, a protester, said the turnout showed the concerns cut across party lines, with participants travelling in from different parts of the country.

“We’re currently heading towards the INEC office. You can see the crowd; there are hundreds, possibly thousands of people gathered,” Bashiru said.

As you can see, it’s massive, this is not just about the ADC, there are members of other political parties here as well,” he said.

A new faction within the African Democratic Congress party has surfaced, rejecting the authority of the Senator David Mark-led coalition and distancing itself from Nafiu Bala’s faction.

In an interview aired by TVC, the group led by Don Obinna claimed to represent the legitimate National Executive Committee of the party.

Speaking on behalf of NEC members, Obinna reacted to INEC’s delisting of the David Mark-led leadership, saying, “Ignorance is not only a disease, but also a crime.

“We have watched with amusement how a few Nigerians with no real understanding of issues concerning our party, the ADC, have jumped in with emotions devoid of reasoning and understanding.”

” We therefore wish to correct a lot of misinformation out there in the public domain. But before doing this, we want to say we are in total support of INEC’s position on this matter and commend them on their bravery in finally doing what is right.”

Obinna explained that the faction arose from an emergency NEC meeting held on April 7, 2026.

The meeting resolved to formally dissociate the ADC from David Mark and his coalition, asserting that “all actions taken by them in the name of the ADC are not binding on the ADC.”

The faction also clarified the status of Nafiu Bala, noting that he “has never held the position of Deputy Chairman of the ADC,” and reaffirmed that former ADC presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu “is a committed and bona fide member of the party, whose supposed expulsion by the David Mark group was an act of desperation taken too far.”