The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced its formation of a Special Representatives Network (SRN) in key global capitals to draw attention to the “growing pattern of undemocratic practices and attacks on opposition members” in Nigeria.
The opposition party said it’s responding to “the growing pattern of undemocratic practices and attacks on opposition members and leaders that have persisted since July 2025, including attempts to destabilise opposition parties, undermine legitimate party leadership structures, and restrict democratic political participation.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Wednesday announced its de-recognition of Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and secretary of the ADC, adding that it would also not deal with the Nafiu Bala faction.
In a statement signed by Mohammed Haruna, INEC’s commissioner for information and voter education, the commission said it would refrain from engaging either faction, citing the March 12 Court of Appeal judgment. INEC added that it would not attend meetings, congresses, or conventions of the ADC groups pending the determination of a case before the Federal High Court.
And in a statement issued on Saturday by Bolaji Abdullahi, its national publicity secretary, ADC expressed its readiness to strengthen the party’s international engagement and promote democratic accountability in Nigeria.
The Special Representatives Network will see ADC appoint credible representatives as envoys in strategically selected capitals, including Washington DC, London, Brussels, Berlin, Ottawa, Paris, Pretoria, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Accra, Geneva, and New York.
These representatives will serve as official points of contact with foreign governments, parliamentary committees, international media organisations, democracy support institutions, and Nigerian diaspora communities.
The party explained that the envoys “will provide regular briefings on key issues relating to Nigeria’s political environment, including political developments in the country, human rights concerns, democratic governance, electoral integrity, and allegations of repression against opposition actors.”
ADC said the SRN initiative was designed “to create structured channels of communication between the ADC and influential international stakeholders, particularly in countries and institutions that prioritise democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.”
It added that they will also “communicate the ADC’s policy positions and reform proposals to international stakeholders.”
As part of the same effort, the ADC will establish a National Documentation Initiative “to systematically collect and document incidents affecting political participation across Nigeria.” State party structures will gather information on incidents including threats, harassment, violent attacks, arbitrary arrests, and disruptions of political activities.
The statement emphasised that the primary objective is “to ensure that international partners and democratic institutions receive balanced and credible information about Nigeria’s political environment, rather than relying solely on official government narratives.”
It described the initiative as “a strategic step toward strengthening its international presence, improving the flow of credible information about political developments in Nigeria, and reinforcing its commitment to democratic governance, political accountability, and the protection of opposition rights.”
The ADC said it seeks to position itself as “a responsible democratic actor” and “a viable governing alternative committed to democratic norms and constitutional governance.”
