The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, criticized a group within the African Democratic Congress, ADC, faction led by David Mark.
Keyamo said Mark’s faction is using emotional blackmail rather than focusing on the legal problems in their internal conflict.
In a post shared on X, Keyamo stated that the group was trying to “use emotional reasoning and blackmail” to avoid what he called a self-inflicted legal situation, emphasizing that legal decisions are based on facts and evidence, not emotions.
He also rejected arguments that relied on the situation before the war, saying they were not important and didn’t have real meaning.
The minister said the main problem is still the ongoing court case about the party’s leadership, which was started by a properly elected Deputy National Chairman.
He said: “The David Mark’s faction of the ADC really think they can use emotional reasoning and blackmail to bluff their way out of a purely legal conundrum they brought upon themselves.
“Unfortunately for them, the law doesn’t care about feelings. Decisions are made using facts, evidence, and how the law is understood, not because of feelings, emotions, or political issues.
“Those who are arguing about the ‘status quo ante bellum’ are wasting their time and energy on chasing shadows rather than focusing on the substance.
“This is because whether INEC accepts either group at the moment doesn’t matter: what really matters is that there is a legal challenge about taking over the party, which is still going on in court by a properly elected Deputy National Chairman.
“As long as that case is still being heard in court, any actions taken by either side could become meaningless after the deadline set by INEC for submitting candidate nominations. The implication is that the ADC may end up having no candidate for the election.”
Keyamo warned that until the court resolves the matter, any steps taken by either faction could ultimately be invalidated after the deadline for candidate nominations by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), thereby risking the party’s participation in the election.
He also said that instead of blaming INEC, the party should see its decision to stop recognizing both groups as a good move that shows how important it is to fix the crisis quickly.
The minister suggested that the ADC might go for a faster court process, find a political agreement, or look for a more secure political option to prevent possible problems.
He also dismissed claims of external interference, asserting that neither the All Progressives Congress (APC) nor INEC compelled party members to adopt an existing platform without appropriate legal consultation.
Keyamo said that even though the group has promised to continue holding their congresses and conventions regardless of INEC’s position and a Court of Appeal decision, they alone will face whatever happens because of those actions.
He added: “Never stop your opponent from making a mistake.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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