By Ayomide Otitoju
Members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State on Tuesday staged a protest at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Port Harcourt over the commission’s handling of the party’s leadership dispute.
The demonstrators, drawn from the party’s youth wing and senior officials, aligned with similar nationwide protests, accusing INEC of refusing to recognise the leadership that emerged from a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting reportedly led by David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola.
The protesters marched from the party’s secretariat in the Government Reserved Area to the INEC office along Aba Express Road, where they met a locked gate. They were later addressed by officials from behind the barricade while submitting a petition.
In the letter delivered by Omiete Yellowe, the state youth leader, the group accused INEC of constitutional overreach and demanded immediate recognition of its national leadership, alongside calls for the resignation of the INEC chairman.
Rivers State ADC chairman, Samson Leader, criticised the electoral body, insisting that INEC had monitored the NEC meeting that produced the current leadership and should uphold its outcome.
“If this is not corrected, it raises serious concerns about the credibility of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
A representative of the party’s national leadership said the protest formed part of a coordinated nationwide directive, describing it as a call for accountability at the electoral commission.
Chairman-elect of the party in Rivers State, Chukwudi Dimkpa, commended the peaceful turnout of supporters, vowing continued mobilisation until their demands are addressed.
The Rivers protest is part of a series of demonstrations across the country as ADC members intensify pressure on INEC to recognise the faction they consider legitimate, while insisting their actions will remain peaceful.
