A member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of deploying “charlatans” to destabilise the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Okonkwo alleged that the APC, under President Bola Tinubu, was attempting to undermine the ADC’s coalition efforts to eliminate competition.

“I was shown everything—resignations, NWC dissolutions—all carried out for the greater good of Nigeria. Yet, some charlatans, some clowns, are being used by APC because President Tinubu does not want any competition in 2027. That is what is going on,” he said.

Okonkwo also criticised alleged attempts to influence the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing certain actors of misrepresenting court proceedings to legitimise their claims.

“A lawyer went to court seeking relief, and now some are claiming the court has ruled in their favour when it has not. This is the second letter they are writing to INEC. The first, on March 16, was treated as a useless letter. Now, under pressure from APC, they are pushing Joash Amupitan to act or resign,” he added.

The ADC chieftain maintained that the party’s leadership structure had been duly recognised by a former INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, after an extensive internal process.

“It was Professor Yakubu Mahmood who recognised the ADC leadership, not Joash Amupitan. If Professor Mahmood, who we know has a history of technical glitches, looked at the process we followed and saw no irregularities, he went the extra mile to endorse us,” Okonkwo said, noting that the process followed 18 months of negotiations.

His remarks come amid a leadership dispute within the ADC. A factional leader, Nafiu Gombe, has threatened contempt proceedings against INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan for recognising a rival faction led by Senator David Mark.

Gombe insists a Court of Appeal ruling preserved the status quo, making him the legitimate leader pending a final court decision, and warned of legal action if INEC fails to reverse its stance.

Responding, Okonkwo dismissed Gombe’s claims as “ridiculous,” alleging that he had resigned from the party in May 2025 to facilitate restructuring but was later approached to disrupt the ADC.