*This is a precursor to rigging 2027 presidential election, the opposition party insists
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Monday challenged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to make public its membership register submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), dismissing claims that the party’s members cast 10.9 million votes for President Bola Tinubu during its presidential primary.
According to the opposition party, the statement by the APC was only but “a possible precursor to election manipulation ahead of 2027”.
Speaking during a press conference to mark the commencement of the collation of results from the ADC presidential primary election, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC remains the only political party currently conducting a genuinely competitive presidential primary process.
“The African Democratic Congress, we are very proud that we are the only party conducting a real primary election in this country today. Even as we speak, none of the three aspirants can tell you confidently that he will emerge as the party’s presidential candidate,” Abdullahi said.
He said the party was committed to transparency and internal democracy, stressing that the ongoing presidential primary involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and notable economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, demonstrated the party’s commitment to open and transparent competition.
Responding to questions on parallel congresses reportedly held by a faction of the party, Abdullahi dismissed the exercise, insisting that the courts had already affirmed the legitimacy of the leadership under former Senate President, David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
“If we start referring to a group of people who meet in a room to entertain themselves… the matter has gone to the Supreme Court, which affirmed that there is only one leadership,” he stated.
On membership strength, Abdullahi disclosed that the ADC has 3,444,000 registered members, based on records submitted to INEC after verification and cleanup exercises.
“We are building a political party based on transparency. The number I have given can be verified with INEC. We are not going to set up figures to deceive Nigerians,” he said.
The ADC spokesman accused the APC of inflating membership figures to create public perception ahead of the 2027 elections.
“What the APC is doing is amusing and laughable. By claiming to have 11 million or 20 million members, they are attempting to condition Nigerians to believe such votes are guaranteed. It is all lies,” he alleged.
He challenged the ruling party to release a verifiable membership register submitted to INEC if it truly possesses the numbers it claims.
Also speaking, the ADC National Organising Secretary, Chinedu Idigo, said the party had put in place meticulous processes aimed at ensuring credible candidate selection across all elective positions.
According to him, INEC was duly notified and had supervised the party’s primaries nationwide, including the ongoing presidential exercise.
“We gave INEC the required notices and ensured they attended all our primaries, from state assembly to governorship elections.
“Reports reaching us indicate that the presidential primaries are also being supervised by INEC across the federation,” Idigo said.
In a statement by the Chairman of the Presidential Primaries Election Committee, Ikechi Emenike, the party said the ADC had distinguished itself as the only major political platform offering a transparent and competitive presidential nomination process.
The committee described the exercise as a demonstration of internal democracy and pledged a free, fair and credible process capable of strengthening democratic culture in Nigeria.
“We know how to count properly and arithmetically. We will not inflate our registration numbers to deceive Nigerians.
“And when counting votes, we will not jump from three to 30 or from 500 to 1,000,” the committee stated.
The ADC said the outcome of the presidential primary would determine which of the three aspirants would fly the party’s flag in the January 2027 presidential election.
