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Coalition leaders weigh return to ADA amid ADC dispute

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Some principal officers of the African Democratic Congress said coalition leaders are considering switching to the newly approved All Democratic Alliance, Monday Ekwutosblog can report.

It was gathered that this is due to litigation issues that could threaten ADC chances and have broader political implications in the 2027 general elections.

No fewer than three chieftains of the party said stakeholders viewed ADA as a more stable platform and might return should the court case against the David Mark-led executive of the ADC continue.

Coalition search for party

The Independent National Electoral Commission had on Thursday announced the approval of 14 political associations, including ADA, to proceed to the next stage of registration as political parties.

The opposition coalition, whose members now dominate ADC, had on June 19 agreed to register the ADA to avoid litigation by original members of any party they intended to adopt.

Ekwutosblog gathered that the move to register the new party was originally a consensus among the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar-led National Opposition Coalition Group, the League of Northern Democrats, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former governor of Kaduna State Nasir El-Rufai, and some southern political leaders.

ADA was thereafter adopted as the new party of the coalition and submitted to INEC for approval on June 19, following recommendations from the Rotimi Amaechi-led New Platform Committee.

Initially, INEC queried the application, stating that some requirements were unmet.

But barely three months later, INEC finally cleared ADA, allowing it to proceed with formal processes to establish the party.

The approval came amid litigation against the Mark-led executive from aggrieved members of the ADC, led by the Deputy National Chairman, Nafi’u Bala.

Bala had dragged ADC, Mark, and the Secretary of the party, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to a Federal High Court, claiming he was supposed to assume chairmanship following the resignation of the former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.

Nwosu resigned on July 2 and appointed Mark as interim chairman and Aregbesola as interim secretary.

Among other prayers, Bala asked the court to nullify the Mark-led leadership and declare him the authentic chairman of the ADC.

He also sought an ex-parte order to restrain Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as party leaders.

In its ruling on September 4, 2025, the court, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, refused the ex-parte application and instead ordered that the defendants be put on notice and appear to show cause why the application should not be granted.

The case was adjourned to September 15, 2025.

ADA as a better choice

Speaking with Ekwutosblog , a credible source said the ADC leadership heaved a sigh of relief after INEC’s approval of ADA.

According to the source, coalition leaders now have a better alternative and may leave ADC.

The principal official said, “ADA was our first approach to have a reliable platform, which was why we constituted Amaechi’s committee. The alternative then was to look for an existing political party. I would say the pressure we put on INEC then yielded the approval of the ADA.

“But the consideration now is that the coalition either completes the ADA party process and moves there, leaving ADC alone if the crisis from the aggrieved members, especially from the Bala litigation, gets serious. We now have a good option. If the court rules against the David Mark-led ADC executive, we will fight it until we complete all ADA processes, then move into the party. Like I always say, the coalition is bigger than the ADC. If everything goes well with ADC, fine. But there is consideration of moving to ADA. It is an emerging dynamic.”

The official also hinted that the coalition was expecting some members of the PDP after the party’s convention in November.

He said their arrival would further change political dynamics within the coalition.

“A full-fledged alliance would come after the PDP members join the coalition. It is something bigger, and that is why moving out of ADC is also possible, because all stakeholders will have to agree on a party, candidate, and other considerations. But I can say that ADA is a broader platform for now,” he added.

Another principal official of the ADC acknowledged talks about moving to ADA, though he said it had not been formally discussed.

According to the source, some members of the party and broader coalition are considering the option.

Asked how soon the migration might take place, the official said, “I don’t think we have reached that stage yet. We haven’t discussed it as a group. But certainly, I know it is a matter that everybody within the party and the coalition is talking about.

“We have invested so much in ADC—not in terms of funding, but in terms of effort and time. But as far as many of us are concerned, whatever the coalition decides is what we’re going to do. We’ll see what happens. We’re likely to meet next week. The party is going to meet and the coalition is likely to meet within the next one or two weeks. Then we will make a decision on what to do.

“Actually, there are problems here and there within the ADC, just like these people will want to distract you. The government will not stop distracting the opposition because that’s the only way they can remain in power. But I believe most of us are rational human beings who look at things, basically assess them and then reach a conclusion.”

Another prominent leader of the ADC said, “We own the ADA, and it is even a broader platform because all the stakeholders in the coalition approved it as our original party. ADC was then an alternative. But now that the ADA has sailed through the processes and has been approved, we may leave ADC if the ongoing litigation constitutes a serious threat to any of our agenda,” a principal official of the party

A former minister among the ADC leaders also confirmed the possibilities of returning to ADA.

He said, “If we see that the unexpected things are about to happen in ADC, we will migrate to ADA.”

But the spokesperson for the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said there was nothing like that.

He said, “There is nothing like moving to ADA. There is no doubt that the coalition owns the party, but there’s not yet a reason to migrate.”

Politics

IMO STATE LABOUR PARTY DESCENDS INTO FACTIONAL WAR

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The Labour Party in Imo State is engulfed in a bitter leadership clash as the Callistus Ihejiagwa-led faction warns members not to participate in any party activities not sanctioned by his leadership.

The warning comes in response to claims that Sen. Nenadi Usman and Darlington Nwokocha’s faction plans to hold Ward, LGA, and State congresses starting March 26, 2026—moves Ihejiagwa calls illegal and unconstitutional.

Ihejiagwa insists that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already refused to dissolve existing party structures, meaning any attempt to replace sitting executives is null and void.

He dismissed arguments that INEC officials attending Usman/Nwokocha’s National Executive Council meeting on March 17 would confer legality, stressing that presence does not equal approval.

 

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Declare Abaribe’s seat vacant, Abia APGA tells Senate

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March 20, 2026

The All Progressives Grand Alliance in Abia State has called on the Senate to declare the seat of the Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, vacant following his resignation from the party.

The party made the call on Thursday during a press briefing in Umuahia, where its leadership, led by a former member of the Abia State House of Assembly, Obinna Ichita, insisted that Abaribe voluntarily resigned from APGA and was not sacked, contrary to his claim at the Senate.

Ichita argued that Abaribe’s exit from the party that sponsored his election violates constitutional provisions, stressing that there was no leadership crisis within APGA to justify his defection.

“The senator resigned in his ward. He did so voluntarily, which is his right. However, if you leave the party that gave you the platform for another party when there is no leadership crisis, that seat must be declared vacant,” he said.

He further alleged that Abaribe misrepresented the circumstances of his exit by claiming he was sacked.

“The party has documentary evidence to show that Senator Abaribe was not sacked. He resigned three months after disciplinary measures were taken against him over actions the court did not consider appropriate,” Ichita added.

According to him, the mandate belongs to the people and the party, not the individual office holder.

“They gave him the mandate on the platform of APGA, not any other party. There was nothing like ADC when he was elected. He cannot take the mandate elsewhere without consulting the people who gave it to him,” he said.

Ichita maintained that the constitution is clear on defection, noting that any lawmaker who leaves a party without a valid internal crisis must vacate the seat.

“My message to Senator Abaribe is to honourably vacate the seat instead of waiting for the National Assembly to declare it vacant. That would amount to national embarrassment,” he added.

Also speaking, the APGA State Chairman, Sunday Onukwubiri, and the party’s Public Relations Officer, Chukwuemeka Nwokoro, reiterated that Abaribe had distanced himself from the party’s activities at various levels in the state.

They insisted that he neither holds dual membership nor was he expelled, maintaining that his resignation was voluntary.

“He was invited by the party but failed to appear and was subsequently suspended in line with the party’s constitution. Three months later, he resigned,” the officials said.

Reacting, Abaribe defended his position, insisting that he acted within his constitutional rights.

“When you are no longer a member of a party by virtue of being sent away, you have the fundamental right of association to join another party,” he said.

He argued that his indefinite suspension by APGA effectively amounted to expulsion.

“If a party places you on indefinite suspension for more than six months, what does that mean? It means you have been told to go elsewhere, and that is exactly what I did,” he stated.

The senator added that the proper constitutional procedure for removing him from office would be through a recall process by his constituents.

“If the people who elected me no longer want me, the right thing to do is to initiate a recall. That is the position of the law,” he said.

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Tinubu’s Reforms May Be Challenging, but They’ve Boosted Nigeria’s Global Respect — Information Minister Mohammed Idris

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The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has stated that Nigeria is receiving greater respect internationally under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking on Friday after attending Jumaat prayers at Yahaya Road Mosque in Kaduna, Mr Idris said, “Nigeria is indeed taking its rightful place. The country is respected more than ever before on the international scene. The reforms that the president has instituted, as challenging as they are, are meant for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

He urged Nigerians to stay calm as the government continues its efforts to restore security across the nation. Referring to the recent multiple b%mb att@cks in Maiduguri, Borno State, the minister assured that such incidents would not be allowed to recur.

“Indeed, our country is facing challenges, and the government is working tirelessly to ensure security throughout Nigeria. We have seen what has happened, particularly in Borno State. We pray to Allah to make this the last one, as the government is committed to preventing any repetition of such incidents,” he said.

Mr Idris also stressed the importance of citizens being prayerful and working together to address the country’s challenges. He encouraged both Muslims and non-Muslims to unite in the interest of Nigeria’s growth and development.

“This is a time for reflection for all Nigerians. We pray that everyone will consider this moment and recognize the need for unity, progress, and national development. All hands must be on deck for the unity of the country. As we earn respect internationally, we also hope and pray that unity will strengthen within our nation,” he added.

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