The leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has intensified as state chairmen of the party declared support for the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to delist the David Mark led leadership.
The position was made known on Tuesday in Abuja by the Abia State ADC Chairman, Don Norman Obinna, during a press conference attended by other state party leaders.
Obinna stated that the state chairmen have formally distanced themselves from both the David Mark faction and the group associated with Nafiu Bala.
According to him, the resolution followed deliberations at a National Executive Committee meeting held the same day.
“We are in total support of INEC in derecognizing the David Mark led faction,” he said.
He further maintained that the leadership of the ADC under its 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, remains the only legitimate authority within the party.
“ADC has no faction; we are the legal leadership.
“The tenure of Ralph Nwosu as Chairman of the ADC ended in August of 2022.
“Nwosu’s refusal to step down as chairman led to a series of litigations with Justice Nyako ruling in December of 2022 that Nwosu’s tenure had indeed expired and that any action taken by him and his NWC after the expiration were null and void.
“One of the illegal actions taken by Nwosu was the convening of a mini convention in Zaria in October of 2022 where he reappointed himself and the likes of Nafiu Gombe as the NWC of the party, but INEC firmly rejected this convention.
“This matter subsequently went all the way to the Supreme Court when the group now known and referred to as the David Mark led coalition transacted with Ralph Nwosu.
“Prior to this unholy transaction, INEC received several communications from the NEC of the party from August of 2022 but curiously refused to act even on valid court orders.
“Nwosu pronounced the suspension and in some cases the expulsion of state chairmen of the party who opposed his bid to continue as chairman of the party.
“INEC eventually initiated an alternative dispute resolution mechanism to resolve the issues within the ADC.
“The key outcome of the ADR which was signed by both parties was that the ADC would immediately go into a convention to produce a new leadership.
“This has not been done almost two years after but instead he attempted to illegally transfer leadership of the party to people who were not members of the ADC.
“The David Mark led leadership put in place measures to remove all the state chairmen of the party for the simple reason that they did not fit the mold of chairmen who could represent the elite.
“We had filed two court cases challenging the illegality of their actions prior to INEC’s recent position.
“In the absence of the National Working Committee since August 2022, the NEC being a constitutional, valid and subsisting organ of the party remains the only authority to speak on behalf of the ADC.”
The group also announced its disassociation from several political figures, including Rauf Aregbesola, Bolaji Abdullahi, and Prof Osunbor, stating that actions taken by the coalition they are linked with are not binding on the ADC.
“We disassociate the ADC from David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Bolaji Abdullahi, Prof Osunbor and all members of the so called coalition who attempted to hijack our party and state that all actions taken by them in the name of the ADC are not binding on the ADC.
“We disassociate the ADC from the claims of Nafiu Gombe and firmly and unequivocally state that he has never held the position of deputy chairman of the ADC. The ADC remains a party of and for all Nigerians and not just for former political office holders and the elites. The ADC is also not for sale.
“The people who have called themselves the Coalition have no democratic credentials and are only interested in a power grab as evidenced by the way and manner in which they attempted to hijack our party and throw out the original members.
“We affirm that our former presidential candidate, Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, is a committed and bona fide member of our party whose purported expulsion by the David Mark led group was an act of desperation taken too far.
“We put on notice all embassies and high commissions in Nigeria that the David Mark led coalition are not members of the ADC and don’t speak for the ADC.”
The faction also announced the appointment of interim officials to manage the party’s affairs pending the conduct of a national convention.
Meanwhile, the David Mark led group has rejected the decision by INEC, describing it as an attempt to impose a one party system in Nigeria. It also insisted that its scheduled congresses and convention from April 7 to April 14, 2026, would proceed as planned.
