Key Points

• Former Senate President David Mark led a mass demonstration at INEC’s Abuja headquarters, with the ADC presenting six formal demands including the immediate resignation of chairman Joseph Amupitan.
• Peter Obi, Rauf Aregbesola, Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Rotimi Amaechi joined the protest, with Obi warning that Nigeria’s democracy must not be killed.
• A Washington-based lobbying firm hired by Atiku Abubakar threatened to recommend Global Magnitsky sanctions against Nigerian politicians and INEC officials who attempt to rig the 2027 elections.

Senator David Mark turned 78 Wednesday. He spent part of his birthday leading a crowd of protesters through the rain to the gates of Nigeria’s electoral commission.

The former Senate president and African Democratic Congress leader joined hundreds of demonstrators who flooded the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja, defying wet weather to demand what they called a defense of Nigeria’s democracy.

The protest, tagged #OccupyINEC, drew a striking cast of opposition heavyweights: former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi and former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola. Hundreds of Kwankwasiyya members were also on the ground.

A birthday march, and a message

The crowd first gathered at Mark’s residence for a morning church service in his honor, then moved out in a coordinated march through Apo Legislative Quarters toward the INEC office, swelling at every turn and blocking major roads in the Federal Capital Territory.

“This is not just about the ADC,” said protester Muyideen Bashiru. “There are members of other political parties here as well.”

What started as a demonstration tied to a factional dispute inside the ADC quickly became something else entirely: a broad opposition rally aimed squarely at the electoral system and the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Six demands, one clear target

At the heart of the protest was a six-point demand sheet aimed at INEC chairman Joseph Amupitan. The ADC wants his immediate resignation or removal, withdrawal of a correspondence the party described as offensive, a formal apology from the commission, and a firm commitment to stay out of political parties’ internal affairs. The party also threatened judicial proceedings and coordinated civic action if its demands go unmet.

“The interpretation of court judgments is the exclusive preserve of the judiciary,” the party said in a statement. “The integrity of Nigeria’s democracy cannot and will not be sacrificed on the altar of institutional compromise.”

The dispute stems from INEC’s decision to stop accepting correspondence from either faction of the ADC following a Court of Appeal order on the party’s leadership crisis. ADC leaders, aligned with Mark, say INEC crossed a line by publicly commenting on the court order.

Obi, Amaechi turn up the heat

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Obi was blunt. “We say no to a one-party system,” he said, urging Nigerians to defend democracy. Amaechi went further, linking INEC’s conduct to the broader record of the Tinubu administration. “They will lose the election,” he said.

Mark, meanwhile, tried to keep his party from fracturing. Speaking at the birthday church service before the march, he told members there was no cause for alarm over the ADC’s internal tensions.

“Challenges are a natural part of any growing institution,” he said. “At 78, my resolve remains unshaken.”

US lobbying firm threatens sanctions

The pressure did not stop in Abuja. Von Batten-Montague-York, a Washington-based lobbying firm recently retained by Atiku, issued a stark warning Wednesday, saying it would recommend Global Magnitsky sanctions against any Nigerian politician or INEC official who attempts to undermine the 2027 elections. The firm cited concerns it said mirrored patterns seen during the 2023 cycle.

Later that evening, leaders from the ADC and a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party held closed-door talks at Mark’s residence. Oyo governor Seyi Makinde, who attended, called it a solidarity visit.

“We are committed to ensuring a truly democratic space in our country,” Makinde said.