Deadline Panic: Opposition Eyes PRP Lifeline As ADC Crisis Deepens Ahead Of INEC Deadline
Opposition leaders pivot to PRP as ADC crisis worsens, racing against INEC deadline and legal uncertainty threatening ambitions.
Opposition leaders pivot to PRP as ADC crisis worsens, racing against INEC deadline and legal uncertainty threatening ambitions.
With just days to the deadline for submission of party membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), embattled opposition figures within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have started to accelerate contingency plans, settling for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) as a fallback platform, THISDAY learnt on Sunday.
The move came against the backdrop of a protracted leadership crisis rocking the ADC, now entangled in multiple court cases, including an interlocutory matter before the Supreme Court, which has created a cloud of uncertainty over the party’s legitimacy heading into the electoral cycle.
It was gathered that key actors within the David Mark-led ADC have opened high-level talks with the PRP.
National chairman of the party, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, confirmed that key figures in the opposition have reached out to PRP and that discussions were ongoing.
A central factor driving the current urgency among opposition politicians, it was gathered, was the set of timelines embedded in Nigeria’s electoral framework, which, while not always explicit on the surface, imposed strict procedural deadlines that could make or mar political ambitions.
Under the Electoral Act 2022, political parties were required to maintain a comprehensive register of their members and make this available to the INEC before the date fixed for their primaries, congresses, or conventions.
This provision, contained in Section 77(3) of the Act, was designed to ensure transparency and credibility in the nomination process, allowing INEC to verify the authenticity of party membership and participation in primaries.
INEC has recently fixed May 10 as the deadline for the submission of the registers, effectively making it about three weeks from today.
Although the law did not expressly stipulate a deadline for when an aspirant must join a political party, this requirement has created a de facto cutoff point. Once a party submits its membership register to INEC ahead of its primaries, the window for new entrants effectively narrows, as only individuals captured in that register would be eligible to participate in the nomination process.
Besides, any attempt to introduce new members after that stage could face legal scrutiny, particularly in the event of post-primary disputes.
This is further reinforced by provisions governing candidate nomination. Section 29(1) of the Act mandates that political parties must submit the names of their candidates to INEC not later than 180 days before the date of the election. Those candidates must have emerged from valid primaries conducted by their respective parties, making prior membership a fundamental requirement.
ADC’s case is even more complex in the context of internal party disputes. Where factions within a party submit conflicting membership registers or conduct parallel primaries, the question of which process was recognised by INEC, and ultimately upheld by the courts, could determine the validity of candidates.
In several instances, Nigerian courts have nullified nominations arising from processes deemed to have violated the Electoral Act or party constitutions.
But the cut-off timelines gleaned from the PRP’s party guidelines were even tighter. For instance, while membership re-registration or revalidation was set for between April 10 to 30, submission of membership register to INEC is April 21 (tomorrow).
Baba-Ahmed told THISDAY that the party could not turn back persons, whatever their political leanings, who were interested in being members of the PRP from joining the party.
Sources familiar with the situation said the ADC crisis has forced many stakeholders to hedge their bets, as conflicting judicial outcomes remained a real possibility.
While a Federal High Court in Abuja is currently handling the substantive case challenging the legitimacy of the ADC leadership, the matter has also generated interlocutory issues that have reached the Supreme Court.
A legal analyst who did not want to be quoted last night told THISDAY that the apex court could rule in favour of one faction on interlocutory grounds, even as the lower court delivers a contrary judgement on the substantive suit, a scenario that could plunge the party into deeper confusion.
For context, the ADC dispute centres on the controversial emergence of a new leadership under former Senate President, Mark, which has been challenged by party members who argue that due process was not followed.
A suit before the Federal High Court is seeking to nullify the leadership arrangement, alleging violations of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
INEC has also enforced the court order, immediately de-recognising the leadership of the Mark-led group in the party which has been home to some political heavyweights like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; presidential hopeful, Peter Obi; ex- Governor of Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi; godfather of Kano politics Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Rauf Aregbesola, among others.
The crisis has effectively paralysed the ADC internal structures, with state congresses stalled, competing factions laying claim to authority, and uncertainty surrounding the party’s planned national convention.
Amid this turmoil, opposition leaders have intensified consultations with alternative platforms. Last week’s closed-door meetings between ADC figures and PRP leadership further underscored the seriousness of the realignment efforts.
Baba-Ahmed said the PRP remained open to collaboration with like-minded political actors seeking a credible vehicle to contest upcoming elections, noting that the party’s structure and ideological roots made it a viable option.
Although he declined to disclose specific names, multiple sources indicated that prominent figures within the ADC and other opposition blocs were involved in the negotiations, reflecting a significant attempt to salvage a fragmented opposition landscape.
Aside from Baba-Ahmed, at last week’s meeting were: ADC’s Mark, National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, PRP’s National Publicity Secretary Muhammed Ishaq, and Malam Salihu Lukman, alongside other top party officials.
The PRP expressed strong solidarity with the ADC over its ongoing dispute with the INEC and other state institutions, raising concerns over what it described as interference in democratic processes.
“I am here with my colleagues. We have decided to meet the chairman of the ADC to express our sympathy over their fortunes in the last few days, and express our unhappiness over what appears to be involvement of critical state institutions in the affairs of political parties.
