A senior member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is deliberately fueling internal crises within the party to reduce competition in 2027.
Okonkwo made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, POLITICS NIGERIA reports.
He accused the APC of using what he described as “charlatans” to destabilise the ADC at a critical time when opposition parties are trying to form alliances.
“I was shown everything—resignations, NWC dissolutions—all carried out for the greater good of Nigeria. Yet, some charlatans, some clowns, are being used by APC because President Tinubu does not want any competition in 2027. That is what is going on,” he said.
He claimed that recent internal decisions within the ADC, including resignations and restructuring moves, were part of a broader effort to strengthen the party. According to him, those actions are now being misrepresented by certain individuals allegedly working with external forces.
Okonkwo also raised concerns over attempts to drag the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into the dispute. He accused some actors of twisting court processes to create confusion around the party’s leadership.
“A lawyer went to court seeking relief, and now some are claiming the court has ruled in their favour when it has not. This is the second letter they are writing to INEC. The first, on March 16, was treated as a useless letter. Now, under pressure from APC, they are pushing Joash Amupitan to act or resign,” he added.
The ADC chieftain maintained that the party’s current leadership structure followed due process and had previously received recognition from INEC after a long period of internal negotiations.
“It was Professor Yakubu Mahmood who recognised the ADC leadership, not Joash Amupitan. If Professor Mahmood, who we know has a history of technical glitches, looked at the process we followed and saw no irregularities, he went the extra mile to endorse us,” Okonkwo said, noting that the process followed 18 months of negotiations.
His comments come amid a deepening leadership crisis within the ADC. A factional leader, Nafiu Gombe, has threatened legal action against INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan over the commission’s recognition of a rival group reportedly aligned with former Senate President David Mark.
Gombe insists that a Court of Appeal ruling preserved the status quo and recognises him as the legitimate leader pending a final verdict. He warned that failure by INEC to reverse its position could lead to contempt proceedings.
However, Okonkwo dismissed Gombe’s position outright. He described the claims as unfounded and accused him of acting in bad faith.
According to him, Gombe had earlier stepped aside from the party in May 2025 as part of efforts to reposition the ADC but later returned under questionable circumstances.
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