The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has disclosed that it turned down significant financial offers aimed at persuading the party to withdraw from its role in Nigeria’s opposition bloc.

The revelation was made by ADC’s founder and pioneer National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday evening.

Addressing top party officials, including members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT), Nwosu described the attempted inducements as part of a broader scheme to undermine Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.

“We have taken these steps so that Nigerian democracy can return to the right path,” he said.

“While some individuals or one party try to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, a fascist state, it was only the ADC that said, No. Our party, the ADC, stood firm. And Nigerians embraced us for that.”

Nwosu condemned what he described as the excessive monetization of politics in Nigeria, asserting that ADC leaders refused every financial proposal both domestic and international over the past year.

“No matter how much money you spend, you can’t fight all Nigerians. Some politicians, opportunistic as they are believe it’s all about money. They say, ‘if you can’t get them with this amount, just add more.’ But in the ADC, especially among the NWC members, we said, No. We rejected every offer, both in Nigeria and abroad, over the past year,” he stated.

“ADC leaders stood firm and said, ‘Enough is enough.’ We are determined to put our democracy first. Our democracy is back on track. And you know what. We are expanding everywhere because of competence.”

Reflecting on the party’s evolution, Nwosu noted the transformation of ADC from a relatively minor political party to one of the most prominent in the country, despite mounting political and economic challenges.

He added, “If you go to every local government in this country whether it’s in the North, Southeast, Southwest, North Central, Northeast, or Northwest the number of people registering every day exceeds that of any other party. Our website crashed three times because of the number of young people trying to register online.”

Describing recent party milestones, Nwosu highlighted how internal collaboration among NEC, NWC, and BoT members strengthened the ADC.

“Navigating the process that brought us here what we did on July 1st was one of the toughest processes. But we did it together,” he said.

“We’ve gone from being a party that struggled to win five House of Representatives seats we won about five or six, but three were lost at the tribunal, and we ended up with two.”

“Now, that same party, because of clear steps taken, is running for Nigeria and for our democracy. We all agreed to do everything possible. Today, your party has over 100 elected persons even without an election about 28 senators and 46 House of Representatives members. The number of State House of Assembly members we have is hard to count, but they are over 50.”

Also speaking at the NEC meeting, ADC interim National Chairman, David Mark, assured party members of a new era of principled leadership and inclusiveness.

He promised to uphold democratic values and reject any form of imposition or favoritism within the party.

“I assure you that under my leadership, we shall be committed to full democratic practices and principles that abhors imposition and special privileges. Internal democracy, transparency and accountability will be our mantra,” Mark said.

“We will guarantee collective leadership at all levels. We will build a technically competent bureaucracy for the party and ensure a structured financing. All members will truly own the party,” he continued.

“We will be fair and just to all party members. We promise to be totally transparent. ADC will have zero tolerance for anti-party and other forms of indiscipline.”

Mark said the party would revamp its grassroots structures to align with modern realities, empowering all levels from polling units to the national leadership.

“We will open the gates for the next generation. Our policies, nominations, and leadership roles will reflect meaningful inclusion of youths and women and not just tokenism.”

“This is why we have reserved 35% of our leadership positions for women. It is also our commitment to have youths below the age of 40 years in our leadership,” he declared.

Looking ahead, Mark revealed that the party would soon initiate a major policy overhaul.

“Within the shortest possible time, the NWC will raise committees to review the manifesto and the constitution of our party to meet and reflect the aspirations of the Nigerian people,” he explained.

“We shall clearly articulate what we stand for. Nigerians must know us as a party driven by unblemished ideology, progressive policies, and patriotic governance. We will not leave it to the discretion of individual candidates to choose what to do with power,” he stated.

Mark announced plans to inaugurate a 50-member Policy Committee to focus on sectors including health, education, agriculture, technology, security, and infrastructure.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has officially withdrawn the controversial indigeneship bill from the National Assembly, citing growing public concern and expert feedback.

In a statement released Tuesday night, Kalu explained that the decision to withdraw the bill was informed by “concerns and constructive feedback received from various stakeholders regarding the bill.”

He further highlighted the role of a detailed analysis conducted by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), which recommended a reassessment of the bill’s provisions.

Although Kalu defended the bill’s intent, stating it aimed “to promote national unity, equity, and inclusiveness among all Nigerians, regardless of where they reside,” he acknowledged that the current climate necessitated further engagement.

The NILDS report underscored the importance of allowing State Houses of Assembly to legislate in a way that would grant settlers in their states equal rights and privileges as indigenes.

Kalu, who also serves as Chairman of the House Constitution Review Committee, reaffirmed his dedication to responsive lawmaking: “I am committed to ensuring that every legislative proposal reflects the wishes of the people.”

Meanwhile, the bill has also sparked confusion over its sponsorship, leading to a clarification from James Abiodun Faleke, the lawmaker representing Ikeja Federal Constituency.

Faleke strongly denied any involvement, issuing a firm rebuttal against claims that he co-sponsored the proposal.

“Let me state categorically that I am not a co-sponsor of the Bill. Any suggestion to the contrary is entirely false and misleading,” Faleke stated.

“I do not support the Bill, and I believe it stands no chance of being ratified by the states. It is, therefore, unreasonable to suggest that I would align myself with such a proposal.”

Faleke urged Nigerians to “disregard the unfounded claims and remain guided by verified facts,” distancing himself completely from the legislative proposal.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally warned State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) that announcing local government elections with only 21 days’ notice violates the Electoral Act 2022 and existing Supreme Court rulings.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, issued the caution during a meeting in Abuja with the leadership of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON).

He stressed that insufficient advance notice undermines electoral credibility and legal integrity, particularly highlighting that while INEC doesn’t directly conduct LG polls, it is legally required to provide SIECs with the voters’ register, list of polling units, and the list of registered political parties.

“While both INEC and SIEC are creations of the Constitution, some responsibilities for electoral activities are actually exclusively those of INEC. For example, voter registration is the exclusive responsibility of INEC… We also create and allot voters to polling units, and we make these polling units available to the state electoral commissions.”

Yakubu emphasised that INEC has never withheld these resources and will continue to deliver them promptly:

“No State Independent Electoral Commission has ever been denied the voters register, the list of polling units, or the list of political parties for elections. We have always discharged this responsibility promptly, and will continue to do so.”

Citing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as a model, he noted that INEC had released its local election timetable over a year in advance, without reliance on caretaker committees:

“For instance, the next area council election in the FCT takes place in February next year. But early this year, we released the timetable and schedule of activities for the election, over 360 days ahead of the election as provided by law.”

Yakubu made clear that issuing only 21 days’ notice “…contravenes the judgment of the Supreme Court. It is also a practical problem. Within 21 days, how do you expect political parties to conduct primaries, nominate candidates, organize campaign, and for the electoral commission to conduct voter education, recruit and train ad‑hoc staff, manage logistics, and organize security for the election? It’s practically impossible to do that within 21 days.”

Meanwhile, FOSIECON Chairman and Head of the Kogi SIEC, Mamman Nda Eri, called for increased financial autonomy for SIECs and asked INEC for guidance on aligning state electoral laws with national standards, especially after the Supreme Court’s recent timeline ruling.

Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has refuted claims that he issued a statement distancing himself from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while affirming support for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a clarification issued on Tuesday through Ibrahim Umar of the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), the former Anambra State governor dissociated himself from the widely circulated statement.

The statement read: “Peter Obi Media Reach–POMR has been made aware of a purported statement from our Principal, Peter Obi, denying joining the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and reaffirming his commitment to the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party has been a subject of speculation in the political space even as he has remained focused on his mission for the establishment of a new Nigeria of our dreams.”

The media office stressed that Obi has been clear and consistent regarding his stance on ongoing political coalition efforts.

“Peter Obi has been unequivocal in his position in the ongoing coalition and didn’t need anyone to put words into his mouth.”

The statement further criticized those circulating the false narrative for pushing a dishonest agenda.

“He has remained focused on his mission but would not accept anybody attributing a statement to him just to satisfy their devious agenda.”

POMR urged the general public and media outlets to disregard any statements not issued through official channels.

“The media office wishes, therefore, to urge the public to disregard any statement purported to come from him outside his media office or his official handle.”

The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port has summoned the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, over questions surrounding the delayed takeoff of the multi-billion-naira port.

During a sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, the committee’s chairman, Saidu Abdullahi, demanded that NIWA submit comprehensive documentation within seven days.

These documents are expected to cover the entire planning, construction, handover process, and current operational status of the port—initially built to reduce pressure on Nigeria’s seaports and boost inland waterway transport.

“We need everything, the full contract files, evaluation reports, evidence of what was done and what was not done,” Abdullahi declared.

“We are asking for all relevant documents as far as the Baro Port is concerned. We are not here to fight anybody. This committee is very serious about its job.”

Abdullahi stressed that the summons to the minister and NIWA MD was necessary to clarify discrepancies and establish accountability.

“The Managing Director and the Minister are summoned to appear. The matter has been referred to this committee, and we are going to do our work thoroughly. We want to know how much was paid to the contractor. We want the financial breakdown. Let’s stop playing games. Somebody must take responsibility for what is a scandal,” he said.

The lawmaker expressed concern that although the port was reportedly completed and commissioned, it remains non-functional, with no cargo activity or access routes.

“This is a very serious matter. We cannot allow a project that has gulped several billions of naira to go to waste. This House will not accept it. We have a responsibility to the Nigerian people to ensure that this kind of waste does not continue unchecked.”

He reiterated that the investigation was not a witch-hunt but a quest for accountability.

“This is not about a witch-hunt. It’s about accountability. The people deserve to know what happened to their money,” Abdullahi added.

In response, officials from NIWA explained that although the Baro Inland Port was commissioned in 2019 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, it has not become operational due to several challenges.

Representing the NIWA MD, Agbahe Fidelis, General Manager of Ports and Environmental Services, cited lack of access roads, silted waterways, vandalized railway infrastructure, and security concerns as major setbacks.

Despite physical completion of the facility, the absence of critical supporting infrastructure has prevented the port from functioning as intended, he said.

To move forward, the committee resolved to visit the Baro port—located in the Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State for an independent, on-the-ground assessment of the project’s current condition.