The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the Independent National Electoral Commission’s removal of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Working Committee members from its portal as self-inflicted.

The APC’s spokesperson, Felix Morka, during his appearance on News Central on Thursday, denied claim that the ruling party was behind the commission’s derecognition of David Mark as the ADC’s national chairman and former governor Rauf Aregbesola as secretary.

Mr Morka insisted the President Bola Tinubu-led APC members “are only concerned about our level of preparation and the effort we are making. We’re concerned about ourselves. It is the opposition that is obsessed about what APC does.

“Even the most recent development that everyone is talking about, the INEC decision to derecognise the David Mark executive, that was utterly self-inflicted. APC didn’t do that. APC did not orchestrate the hijack of the ADC by that executive; we didn’t.”

Recall that the INEC removed the Mark-led NWC from its portal on Wednesday, citing a March 12 Court of Appeal ruling. Similarly, it removed the ADC factional chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe.

The commission said it would no longer acknowledge the activities of factions until the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court rules on the party’s leadership dispute.

Reacting to the INEC’s decision, the ADC, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the ruling party of hijackin its leadership and pressuring INEC to sack the Mark-led NWC.

“The electoral body acted under pressure from a government panicked by the opposition momentum despite its efforts to destroy all opposition parties and foist a one-party rule on Nigeria,” the ADC alleged.

However, Mr Morka blamed the opposition party for the commission’s decision, stating that INEC withdrew recognition of Messrs Mark and Aregbesola as ADC chairman and secretary due to their disregard for the party’s constitution and rule of law.

He said, “They did that, completely ignoring the rule of law, ignoring the constitution of the party they were putting themselves into. 

“The party had a constitution about succession. So when you parachute into the party, you take over without reference to the constitutional stipulation about succession on how leadership is ordered in that party; this is the consequence.

“This was exactly made, manufactured by the same people who are complaining now and pointing fingers at the APC. We’re not concerned about all of that.”

The leadership crisis in the ADC—a coalition of opposition politicians seeking to unseat Mr Tinubu in 2027—stemmed from Ralph Nwosu’s resignation as the national chairman. 

Mr Mark was then ratified as the party’s national chairman, a development Mr Gombe faulted, arguing that he was entitled to the position, per the party’s constitution. 

Mr Gombe consequently approached the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, challenging the legality of Mr Mark’s leadership, and sought an order stopping the NWC members from parading themselves as the party leaders.

Mr Mark’s faction also approached the Court of Appeal on December 18, 2025, to contend that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter. The appellate court, however, dismissed the appeal, upholding the continuation of the case at the Federal High Court.