18 Days Left – Supreme Court Expected To Rule Before May 10 As ADC Faces “No Register, No Candidate” 2027 Political Shutdown Threat
JUST IN: 18 Days Left – Supreme Court Expected To Rule Before May 10 As ADC Faces “No Register, No Candidate” 2027 Political Shutdown Threat
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is sliding deeper into a high-stakes internal crisis that may determine whether the party survives or collapses ahead of the 2027 general elections, as a critical legal deadline ticks dangerously closer.
With only 18 days left to the May 10, 2026 deadline, the party is required to submit a valid and verifiable membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in line with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. Failure to comply would automatically disqualify the party from conducting primaries, presenting candidates, or participating in the 2027 elections.
At the centre of the storm is a disputed national convention reportedly held on April 14 by a faction led by former Senate President David Mark, which has deepened divisions within the party and triggered competing claims of legitimacy.
INEC has maintained a firm stance, insisting it will not recognise any leadership structure within the African Democratic Congress until all pending legal disputes are conclusively determined by the courts, effectively freezing all critical electoral processes within the party.
The tension escalated further at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, where justices recently reserved judgment in the matter, leaving the question of legitimate leadership unresolved at a politically sensitive moment.
The delay has intensified fears within party circles, as any attempt to submit a membership register under a disputed leadership risks immediate rejection by INEC, potentially sealing the party’s fate ahead of the next general election cycle.
Legal observers warn that the clock is now the ADC’s greatest adversary. With the May 10 deadline fast approaching, the Supreme Court is widely expected to deliver its ruling before the cutoff date to prevent a constitutional and electoral vacuum.
However, if the ruling is delayed or fails to clarify the leadership question, the consequences could be severe and irreversible: no valid register, no primaries, no candidates, and ultimately, no participation in the 2027 elections.
As the deadline looms, the ADC stands on the edge of what could become one of the most consequential political exclusions in Nigeria’s recent democratic history.
The clock is ticking.
