The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has mocked the warring factions of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), advising them to continue with their planned congresses despite the party’s derecognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a post on his X account, on Thursday, Keyamo argued that the faction led by former Senate President David Mark cannot use “emotional reasoning and blackmail” to resolve a legal crisis of their own making.
The minister insisted that the law does not admit sentiment, and that court decisions are based strictly on facts, evidence, and interpretation of statutes—not on sympathy, emotion, or political considerations.
“Those who are arguing about ‘status quo ante bellum’ are wasting their time and energy chasing shadows and not the substance,” Keyamo said.
He pointed out that a legal challenge regarding the takeover of the party is currently pending before a court, filed by a duly elected Deputy National Chairman. As long as that case remains unresolved, Keyamo warned, all actions taken by either faction could become nugatory after INEC’s deadline for nomination of candidates.
“The implication is that the ADC may end up having NO CANDIDATE for the election,” he said.
The minister took a swipe at opposition figures who have blamed INEC for the crisis, arguing that the electoral body had actually done the ADC a favour by derecognising both factions before the close of the nomination window.
“Instead of vilifying INEC, the ADC should rather thank INEC for this timely action,” Keyamo said. “It has duly forewarned the party of the danger ahead and opened a window for them to either find a new, risk-free platform, ask for accelerated hearing of the case in court, or politically settle the leadership question quickly.”
He dismissed claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or INEC was responsible for the ADC’s troubles.
“Neither APC nor INEC prodded these grown adults and supposedly ‘experienced’ politicians to go and hijack an existing platform without sound legal advice and without properly sorting out every member of the leadership of that existing platform,” Keyamo said.
Reacting to the ADC factions’ insistence on proceeding with congresses and a convention despite the Court of Appeal ruling and INEC’s decision, Keyamo offered a final, sarcastic response.
“That is fine by us. NEVER INTERRUPT YOUR OPPONENT WHEN HE IS MAKING A MISTAKE.”
The ADC has been embroiled in a leadership crisis, with INEC recently withdrawing recognition from both the David Mark-led faction and the Nafiu Bala Gombe faction pending the determination of a case before the Federal High Court.
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