Femi Fani-Kayode, a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, has publicly mocked the leadership of the African Democratic Congress following a significant blow from the Independent National Electoral Commission. The electoral umpire recently derecognized the party’s leadership, specifically removing Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from its official portal as national chairman and national secretary. This move comes as INEC interprets a Court of Appeal ruling regarding a long-standing leadership dispute within the party.
Reacting to the development through his social media handle on Thursday, Fani-Kayode described the situation as a major setback for the opposition’s political ambitions. He questioned the standing of the ADC leaders, pointing out that without a recognized platform or a party to run on, they have essentially been sidelined by the legal and electoral systems. The former minister claimed that the party has been rejected not just by the courts and INEC, but also by its original founders and the Nigerian public.
Looking ahead to the next general elections, Fani-Kayode suggested that the embattled leaders should stop focusing on the immediate future. He argued that the 2027 polls are already a lost cause for the ADC and advised them to spend the next five years attempting to build a genuine opposition party. He noted that their best bet would be to aim for the 2031 presidential election rather than struggling to fix their current internal crisis in time for the next cycle.
The APC chieftain did not hold back in his criticism of how the ADC has been managed, suggesting that the current crisis was earned. He accused the party leadership of focusing on media appearances and social media optics rather than providing actual solutions to the country’s challenges. In his view, the party relied too heavily on spreading misinformation and seeking external influence to destabilize the political landscape instead of doing the hard work of grassroots organizing.
Despite the heavy criticism and the removal of its top officials from the INEC portal, the ADC remains defiant. While the commission’s decision continues to trigger intense debate across the country, the party has claimed that its support base is actually growing. In a statement shared with Zoyols News, the ADC asserted that over 40,000 Nigerians have joined its ranks since the news of the derecognition broke on Wednesday, suggesting that the party still sees a path forward despite the legal hurdles.
