*MEMORANDUM*
*To:* All Members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Nationwide
*From:* Independent Legal Advisor
*Date:* 8 April 2026
Subject: *Urgent Message to Every ADC Member: How We Fix This Leadership Crisis the Right Way – Before It’s Too Late for 2027*
Dear Fellow ADC Members,
Our great party is facing a real crisis right now. INEC is not recognising any national leadership. This is because of problems with how the caretaker committee was set up in July 2025 and because a rival group took the matter to court. The Court of Appeal has ordered everyone to keep things as they were before the big fight (the “status quo ante bellum”) until the main court case is finished. As a result, the ADC currently has no official national leaders that INEC will deal with. This is not just internal party matter – it affects every one of us.
*Why this is extremely urgent right now*
The 2027 general elections are coming fast. The Electoral Act 2022 is very clear and very strict: Section 82(1) says any meeting to choose leaders or candidates must give INEC at least 21 days’ notice. If you don’t, Section 82(5) says the whole meeting and everything decided there is invalid. We cannot afford more delays or mistakes. Every wasted week makes it harder for us to recruit members, build structures, and prepare to win in 2027. Time is running out.
*The correct, lawful way forward – straight from our own Constitution*
Our ADC Constitution (2022) gives us a clear and simple solution. Under *Article 13,* the National Executive Committee (NEC) is the main body that runs the party’s day-to-day affairs. It normally meets every quarter, but it can also meet at any other time *at the request of the Chairman or two-thirds (2/3) of its membership.*
Because many national officers submitted resignation letters last year, the remaining NEC members who have *not resigned* now have the power and the duty to act. If *two-thirds (2/3) of those non-resigned NEC members* come together and request an urgent NEC meeting, they can lawfully summon it. This is the proper constitutional way to resolve the vacuum without breaking any rules.
This is not a shortcut or a factional move – it is exactly what the Constitution allows when the normal leadership is stuck.
*What we have already advised your leaders (and why you should support it)*
In separate memos sent in the last few days we gave clear, practical advice to Senator David Mark (Caretaker Chairman), the full NEC, and the 36 State Chairmen plus FCT Chairman. Here is what we told them in plain language:
• *To Senator David Mark and the Caretaker Committee:* Your appointment has a good internal argument under Article 19, but it faces real problems under Articles 13, 14 and 17.4 of the Constitution and under Section 82 of the Electoral Act. Please file papers immediately to speed up the Federal High Court case. Suspend any big congresses or conventions until you have proper 21-day INEC notice and court clearance.
• *To the full NEC*: The party is in a leadership vacuum for official purposes. Direct the lawyers to push for fast hearing of the main court case. Suspend all planned congresses and conventions for now. When the time is right, call a properly noticed NEC or National Convention to put leadership on solid ground. Start the process to amend the Constitution (under the relevant article) so we have clear rules for caretaker committees in future.
• *To the 36 State Chairmen and FCT Chairman:* The planned NEC meeting for 7 April 2026 that tries to appoint new national leaders does not have 21-day INEC notice and risks going against the Court of Appeal order. Please turn it into a *consultative meeting only* – no appointments, no new structures. Focus on unity talks. Any attempt to create new national leadership without following Article 13 and Section 82 of the Electoral Act will be invalid and will only make things worse.
We are urging all of you – the ordinary members – to support these same steps.
*What every ADC member must do now*
1 *Stay united* – Do not join any parallel groups or factional meetings. ADC belongs to all of us.
2 *Support the 2/3 solution* – Encourage the remaining non-resigned NEC members (especially your State Chairmen) to immediately request and hold that urgent NEC meeting as allowed by Article 13 of the Constitution.
3 *Push for speed in court* – Tell your leaders to demand fast hearing of the substantive case at the Federal High Court.
4 *Work at the grassroots* – Keep recruiting members, hold ward meetings, listen to the people, and prepare good policies. These things we can and must do even while the national leadership is being sorted out.
5 *Prepare for the long fix* – Once the court case ends, we must quickly amend the Constitution to include clear caretaker provisions so this never happens again.
*Final urgent call*
Fellow members, we cannot wait any longer. The Electoral Act will not bend for us. If we keep making the same mistakes or fighting among ourselves, we will enter 2027 divided and weak. But if we follow our own Constitution (especially Article 13), obey the Electoral Act, support the court process, and act together, we can come out of this crisis stronger, united, and ready to win.
ADC is your party. Its future is in your hands. Share this memo in your wards, local governments and states. Talk to your State Chairman today. Demand the lawful 2/3 NEC meeting. Demand speed. Demand unity.
Together we can fix this – and we must fix it now.
Signed: Daniel Elombah, Independent Legal Advisor
cc: All State Chairmen and FCT Chairman Party Legal Team All Ward and Local Government Chairmen
