Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said that the ongoing leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC), might exclude the party from upcoming elections if legal issues remain unresolved.
Keyamo in a social media post criticised a faction linked to David Mark, accusing them of attempting to rely on “emotional reasoning and blackmail” instead of addressing the legal implications of the dispute.
“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.
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“Unfortunately for them, law does not admit of sentiment. Decisions are based on facts, evidence, and the interpretation of laws, rather than on sympathy, emotion or political considerations,” he noted.
He stressed that legal matters are determined by facts and evidence, not sentiment or political pressure.
“All those who are arguing about ‘status quo ante bellum’ are dispensing their time and energy chasing shadows and not the substance. This is because whether INEC recognises either faction for now is irrelevant: what is relevant is that there is a challenge regarding the take-over of the Party pending in court by a duly elected Deputy National Chairman,” he said.
According to Keyamo, the core issue lies in an ongoing court case challenging the takeover of the party’s leadership, which he said could render the actions of both factions invalid if not resolved before the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for candidate nominations.
He warned that failure to resolve the crisis in time could result in the ADC having no candidates in future elections.
Keyamo further argued that INEC’s decision to withhold recognition of both factions should be seen as a timely intervention, giving the party an opportunity to either resolve its internal dispute, seek an accelerated court hearing, or explore alternative political platforms.
The minister also dismissed claims that external forces were behind the crisis, stating that neither the All Progressives Congress (APC) nor INEC played any role in the party’s internal issues.
Despite the legal uncertainties, Keyamo noted that the factions have indicated plans to proceed with congresses and a national convention, a move he suggested could further complicate their situation.
