The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to hijack its leadership by hiring a crowd to stage a protest demanding a change of its national chairman, David Mark. 

The ADC alleged that the group, sponsored by a minister, would pose as aggrieved members to protest in Abuja on Thursday, April 2, to seek the removal of Mr Mark. 

The party claimed the President Bola Tinubu-led APC government had “pressured” the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into taking actions to destabilise it following former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso’s defection to the party.

“Yesterday, we disclosed a sinister plot by agents of the ruling APC government to pressure INEC into taking illegal action to destabilise our party, following the milestone movement of H.E. Rabiu Kwankwaso to the ADC,” the party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, said in a statement on Wednesday. 

According to Mr Abdullahi, the APC resorted to another strategy after failed plans with the electoral umpire.

“Information reaching us this morning is that a public protest is being planned for tomorrow, Thursday, 2nd April, in Abuja, sponsored by a particularly notorious minister,” said the ADC’s spokesman. “Their expectation is that a protest will give oxygen to a case that is already suffocating in the courts under the weight of its own illegality.”

He added, “The plan is simple: a paid crowd, posturing as aggrieved party members, will take to the streets demanding ‘David Mark Must Go.'”

Mr Abdullahi, who did not provide details about the minister responsible for hiring the crowd, maintained that the ruling party aims to mount pressure on INEC chair Joash Amupitan to recognise an expelled member as ADC chairman. 

“This, they hope, will create ‘public pressure’ on the INEC chairman to magically upgrade and recognise an individual who resigned his position and was subsequently expelled from the ADC, to the position of national chairman of a party he no longer belongs to.

“The plan by the ruling APC government to hijack the leadership of the ADC, the only viable opposition party left in the country, is real. If anything, it has assumed a new level of desperation in the past few days. They are not just afraid of our momentum,” he said. 

Stating that the ADC remained law-abiding, Mr Abdullahi said the party “will, however, resist by all lawful and necessary means.”

He added, “If they are not acting on his orders, President Tinubu should rein in his enforcers before it is too late.”

Contacted by Peoples Gazette on the ADC’s allegations, the ruling party’s spokesman, Felix Morka, promised to issue a statement shortly.

Meanwhile, Mr Kwankwaso officially joined the ADC on Monday, March 30, after resigning from the New Nigeria Peoples Party.

The former governor said in a statement on Sunday  that he joined the ADC because it “offers the best opportunity to change the nation effectively.”