Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission and the judiciary of colluding with the All Progressives Congress to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections through the leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress.
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Odinkalu made the claim on Wednesday after INEC released a statement on a Court of Appeal decision in the ongoing dispute over control of the ADC between factions led by Senator David Mark and Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Odinkalu took a swipe at INEC under its current chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN).
“Behold the #SupremeLeader of #Nigeria crowned by @inecnigeria of Prof Joash Amupitan, SAN,” Odinkalu wrote.
He pointed to the handling of the ADC case as part of a larger effort to limit the number of competitive parties on the ballot in 2027.
Odinkalu wrote that the only other party likely to remain on the ballot besides the ruling APC would be the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party linked to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
“That will not be much of an election,” he added.
The former NHRC chairman linked the developments to his earlier article in which he warned that the 2027 presidential election risks becoming uncontested.
He said institutions including INEC and the judiciary appear to be working with the ruling party to reduce real competition.
He suggested the goal is to leave voters with few genuine choices at the polls.
The statement from INEC sets out the background to the dispute within the ADC.
It notes that the current National Working Committee of the ADC came into office after a National Executive Council meeting on July 29, 2025.
This followed the resignation of the previous executive led by Ralph Okey Nwosu.
Senator David Mark took over as National Chairman of the new committee, with Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola serving as National Secretary.
However, Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, who served as Vice National Chairman under the old executive, took a different view.
He argued that he did not resign and that he should step in as acting National Chairman once Nwosu left, in accordance with the party’s constitution.
Gombe filed Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 at the Federal High Court in Abuja on September 2, 2025.
He asked the court to stop Mark and his team from presenting themselves to INEC as leaders of the party and to direct INEC to recognise him instead.
The Federal High Court put the parties on notice. Mark appealed against aspects of the process.
On March 12, 2026, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed the appeal and issued orders to maintain the status quo ante bellum — the situation before the dispute began.
The parties were directed not to take any steps that could affect the main case or create a situation the court would find hard to reverse later.
The appeal court also awarded costs of ₦2 million against Mark’s side and directed the Federal High Court to hear the case quickly in line with the electoral timetable.
INEC said it received letters from lawyers on both sides after the Court of Appeal ruling.
Each side made claims about who leads the party and what the commission should do.
The commission noted that it has to wait for the final decision of the court on the substantive matter.
The statement from INEC does not take sides in the leadership fight. It explains the sequence of events and the court orders so far.
Both the Mark-led group and the Gombe side continue to press their positions through the legal process.
Odinkalu has raised questions about the role of INEC under its current chairman in managing such matters.
He believes the way the commission and the courts handle the ADC case will show whether the electoral system remains open to genuine opposition or tilts in favour of the party in power.
The ADC has seen internal divisions since an opposition coalition moved to use the party platform.
Different groups have held meetings and made claims about conventions and leadership.
The leadership question has now reached the courts and drawn in INEC as the body that registers parties and monitors their activities.
Political observers note that party leadership disputes often end up in court in the years before general elections.
The outcome in this case could affect whether the ADC can present candidates across the country in 2027 or faces restrictions because of unresolved internal issues.
The ADC is not the only opposition party facing internal turmoil.
The Peoples Democratic Party is also divided into factions — one backed by Minister Nyesom Wike, and another led by Kabiru Turaki.
Courts have issued conflicting rulings on both factions, with the Turaki group heading to the Supreme Court to challenge decisions favouring the Wike-backed faction.
Odinkalu’s suggestion that only the Wike faction of the PDP may remain competitive alongside the APC reflects concerns that opposition fragmentation plays into the ruling party’s hands.
As things stand, the Federal High Court is expected to hear the main ADC suit on an accelerated basis.
Until then, the parties must hold off from actions that could change the facts on the ground.
The full statement from INEC sets out the positions of the two sides in the dispute and the exact orders from the Court of Appeal.
It ends by saying the commission will await the determination of the suit before taking further steps on recognition of the party leadership.
Odinkalu’s accusations against INEC and the judiciary reflect growing concerns among opposition figures and civil society about the state of Nigeria’s electoral landscape ahead of 2027.
His claim that institutions are colluding with the ruling party to reduce competition is a serious allegation that strikes at the heart of democratic governance.
The simultaneous crises in both the ADC and PDP — Nigeria’s two most prominent opposition platforms — raise legitimate questions about whether voters will have meaningful choices in the next election cycle.
If both opposition parties remain mired in leadership disputes and court battles as the electoral calendar advances, the ruling APC could face a significantly weakened opposition field.
For Odinkalu and other critics, the handling of these cases by INEC and the courts will serve as a litmus test for whether Nigeria’s democratic institutions are truly independent — or whether they have been captured by the party in power.
The coming months will reveal whether these concerns are justified or whether the legal processes will ultimately produce outcomes that preserve genuine political competition in 2027.
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