The Ondo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress has halted its planned ward, local government and state congresses, following a directive from the Independent National Electoral Commission instructing political parties to maintain the status quo in their internal affairs.

State chairman of the party, Wole Ademoyegun, announced the suspension in a statement, explaining that the decision was taken in strict compliance with INEC’s instruction to all parties caught in ongoing disputes. He said the party would not proceed with any congress that could be interpreted as violating the commission’s order.

Ademoyegun stressed that the ADC in Ondo State recognises INEC as the constitutionally empowered regulator of party activities and would abide fully by its guidelines. He urged members and stakeholders to remain calm and united, describing discipline and internal order as crucial while the directive remains in force.

The statement warned against unauthorised meetings or parallel gatherings that might deepen tensions or suggest defiance of INEC’s position. According to the party, security agencies have been notified to monitor developments and forestall any action capable of breaching the peace within the ADC.

The suspension of the congresses comes against the backdrop of wider turbulence in the party at the national level. INEC recently moved to delist some national figures associated with the ADC from its records, acting on a court order that directed the commission to preserve the existing situation in the party’s leadership structure.

The ADC has for years been dogged by internal disputes, particularly over the tenure and influence of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, whose time in office formally ended in 2022. Rival factions have since traded accusations over control of the party’s organs and the legitimacy of various congresses and appointments.

Despite the crisis, the party’s national leadership insists the ADC remains a viable platform ahead of the next general election. National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, has maintained that the party will field candidates and contest nationwide, arguing that the current turbulence is part of a broader process of internal restructuring and legal clarification.

For now, however, the Ondo chapter has placed all its congress plans on hold, pending further guidance from INEC and the resolution of the legal and administrative questions surrounding the party’s leadership.