With about a month left before political parties must submit membership registers and conduct primaries for the 2027 elections, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is facing a deepening leadership crisis. A new faction, led by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, has emerged to contest the current leadership and plans to convene a national convention to form an interim committee.
The group, composed of state chairmen, expressed full support for the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to delist the David Mark-led leadership. A nine-member caretaker committee was appointed to manage party affairs pending the resolution of ongoing legal disputes.
Addressing reporters, Abia State Chairman Don Norman Obinna said the emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) was necessary to rescue the party from impostors and set it on the right path. He accused former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu of illegally transferring party leadership to Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola and disputed the legitimacy of Nafiu Bala as vice chairman.
“We are in total support of INEC in derecognizing the Mark-led faction,” Obinna said. “ADC has no faction; we are the legal leadership.”
Queen Okiyi, deputy national publicity secretary of the Mark-led camp, dismissed the new faction’s claims, saying its members lacked authority and were pursuing personal interests. “They’ve been bought over. They are state chairmen whose conduct has been questioned,” she said. Okiyi also accused the faction of past misconduct, including selling party property and refusing disciplinary actions.
The crisis drew reactions from other political actors. Paul Ibeh, media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accused President Bola Tinubu and INEC of undermining Nigeria’s opposition. Ibeh questioned the legitimacy of Nafiu Bala’s chairmanship and warned of democratic erosion.
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former governor, expressed disappointment after Bala failed to attend a planned meeting. He urged senior figures and traditional rulers to advise Bala, describing him as young and inexperienced.
The Lagos State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) dismissed claims of interference, saying Nigeria’s democratic system would remain intact regardless of ADC participation. APC spokespersons emphasized that the ADC crisis stems from internal divisions and organizational failures.
“Opposition parties often deflect responsibility for their internal problems,” APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka said. “This is about leadership failure within the ADC, not the APC or the president.”
Meanwhile, Professor Pat Utomi called on the Nigerian Bar Association to intervene and prevent what he described as the “free fall” of Nigeria. Utomi criticized INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan for actions resembling dictatorial tendencies and urged religious leaders, traditional rulers, and senior lawyers to speak out.
“Those who see truth and cloak themselves in silence will someday face accountability,” Utomi said in a post on X. “If the NBA cannot prevail on Amupitan to resign, the fall of Nigeria through institutional and moral safety nets has become a free fall.”
