By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Monday pushed back forcefully against what it called an “unauthorised and misleading” media report questioning the legitimacy of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s registration with the party, describing the comments quoted in the publication as the work of an impostor with no ties to the organisation.

The controversy erupted after The Guardian published a report titled “Controversy Trails Atiku’s ADC Registration as Party Declares Process Invalid,” citing comments from an individual allegedly speaking on behalf of the ADC. But in a strongly worded advisory issued in Abuja, the party’s national leadership said the person quoted “is unknown to the ADC at any level” and “does not exist within any of the party’s structures, registers, or leadership organs.”

According to the ADC, in a statement signed by
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi
National Publicity Secretary, African Democratic Congress (ADC)
no official empowered to speak on behalf of the party has made any statement resembling what was attributed to the unnamed source in the report. Party leaders expressed frustration that a reputable media organisation would “lend its platform to impostors” or appear to “impose leadership on the ADC outside the structure affirmed by the NEC and recognised by the INEC.”

The statement warned that such publications not only mislead the Nigerian public but also “call into question the integrity and professional standards of the media.”

In a broader reflection on Nigeria’s political climate, the ADC suggested the incident fits into a pattern of what it described as “orchestrated destabilisation of opposition parties,” arguing that the country is witnessing “a gradual descent into a one-party state.” The party maintained that it remains “the last man standing” and urged the press to avoid becoming “complicit” in what it views as attempts to weaken multiparty democracy.

The advisory concluded with a firm reminder: only officials recognised by the National Executive Committee and listed with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are authorised to issue statements on behalf of the ADC.