Some state chairmen of the African Democratic Congress on Tuesday claimed they had taken control of the party following the removal of the David Mark leadership by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The chairmen, claimed to be representing 25 states and backed by the ADC 2023 Presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, stated that they constituted the National Executive Committee of the ADC and had taken over the party leadership.

The group unveiled the Kogi State Chairman, Kingsley Ogga, as the new chairman, in a move that signals a significant shift amid the party’s ongoing internal crisis.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the Abia State Chairman, Don Obinna, explained that the NEC endorsed Mark’s removal as the party chairman.

However, the David Mark-led leadership of the party has dismissed the group, alleging that they are being sponsored by elements of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday night, said the same forces allegedly working to destabilise the party had instigated some state chairmen against it.

On April 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced the removal of key figures of the ADC, including Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, from its official records.

The commission, through its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information Committee, Mohammed Haruna, explained that the action was in line with a court order to maintain the status quo pending the final ruling on a suit.

The party has been enmeshed in a prolonged leadership crisis since 2025, following the emergence of a new National Working Committee led by Mark in July.

The crisis originated from disputes over the tenure of former chairman Ralph Nwosu, which ended in August 2022. While Nwosu was said to have supported the 2025 transition, his deputy, Nafiu Gombe, maintained that he should step in as acting chairman after Nwosu’s exit.

The disagreement later degenerated into factional contests for control, triggering multiple legal battles at both the Appeal and Supreme Courts, and fueling concerns over the party’s preparedness for the 2027 elections.

In a new twist, the group backed by the ADC 2023 Presidential candidate, Kachikwu, on Tuesday in Abuja, during the purported NEC meeting, announced a caretaker committee to steer the affairs of the party amid its ongoing leadership crisis.

Ogga was announced as the Chairman of the committee, while the Acting Chairman of Edo State, Odion Kennedy, was named Acting Secretary. The Borno State Chairman, Mohammad Jidda, will serve as Deputy Chairman.

In the expanded structure, several state chairmen were assigned key national roles. Kabiru Hussaini of Jigawa State was appointed Assistant Secretary, Dr Charles Idowu Midji from Osun State emerged as National Organising Secretary, while Johnny Tovi Derek of Bayelsa State was named Deputy Organising Secretary.

Stella Chukwuma from Enugu State will serve as Treasurer, and Don Norman Obinna of Abia State was appointed Publicity Secretary.

As a result, the party has now split into three factions: the David Mark-led coalition bloc, the Nafiu Gombe-led group, and the NEC-backed group supported by Kachikwu under Kingsley Ogga’s leadership. Each faction claims legitimacy and leadership in the party, reflecting the depth of the crisis.

Obinna, flanked by other state chairmen of the Kachikwu-Kingsley faction, stated, “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 litigation, 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 was 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.’’

He continued, ‘’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 for almost two years, 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 mould 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.’’

Obinna addressed the commission’s decision to delist the David Mark-led leadership, stating that “Ignorance is not only a disease, but also a crime.”

He continued, “We have watched with amusement how a few Nigerians with no real understanding of issues concerning our party, the ADC, have jumped in with emotions devoid of reasoning and understanding.

“We therefore wish to correct a lot of misinformation out there in the public domain. But before doing this, we want to say we are in total support of INEC’s position on this matter and commend them on their bravery in finally doing what is right.”

Obinna explained that at their Tuesday meeting, they resolved to formally dissociate the ADC from Mark and his coalition, asserting that “all actions taken by them in the name of the ADC are not binding on the ADC.”

The faction also clarified the status of Nafiu Gombe, noting that he “has never held the position of Deputy Chairman of the ADC,” and reaffirmed that Kachikwu “is a committed and bona fide member of the party, whose supposed expulsion by the David Mark group was an act of desperation taken too far.”

Obinna emphasised that the ADC remains “a party of and for all Nigerians, and not just for former political office holders and the elites,” adding that “the ADC is also not for sale.”

He also accused those who called themselves the coalition of having “no democratic credentials and are only interested in the power grab, as evidenced by the way and manner in which they attempted to hijack our party and throw out the original members.”

Obinna emphasised that the party has never been factionalised, insisting that the body of state chairmen remains the sole legitimate authority.

“ADC has no faction. The people seated here today were elected, and they are state chairmen. The state chairmen’s body is the only recognised body, and their tenure is still running. This is not a faction. INEC didn’t say anything about the NEC. In a vacuum, the NEC of the party takes over pending a new convention,” he said.

Obinna affirmed the party’s resolve to protect its legacy: “Even when we were not a big party, we won elections, and we can’t allow the efforts of the party to go down the drain.”

He called on INEC to grant the caretaker committee the required recognition and support to prevent the African Democratic Congress from sliding into total collapse.

The newly inaugurated chairman clarified that Mark and others are ineligible to lead the ADC, noting that the party’s constitution contains a clause stating that anyone who has not been a member for up to two years cannot contest for elective positions.

Ogga stated, ‘’There’s a clause in the constitution that says if you’ve not been a member for up to two years, you can’t contest for elective positions. These people are not up to two years old, and we warned them at that time. Only God knows what happened between Nwosu and Nafiu Bala Gombe because they planned this thing together.”

“We put all embassies and high commissions in Nigeria on notice that the David Mark-led coalition is not a member of the ADC and does not speak for the party.

“The caretaker committee members of the ADC have been appointed to manage the day-to-day affairs of the party pending the election of a new National Working Committee at our forthcoming convention.”

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Tuesday, Gombe confirmed that he attended the July meeting where Mark and others were announced as members of the ADC National Working Committee, but maintained that there was no prior agreement to install the former Senate President-led leadership at the gathering.

He explained that the meeting, held on July 2, 2025, was convened solely to adopt the ADC as a unified platform for coalition partners, not to introduce new party leaders.

In a post on social media, he stated, “Contrary to expectations, the event took an unexpected turn when Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, the then national chairman, was given the floor to deliver his welcome address.

“In a shocking move, he announced his resignation as national chairman, proceeded to issue membership cards to Sen. David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, and declared them acting national chairman and national secretary, respectively.”

According to him, Nwosu’s actions were “in clear contravention of Articles 8(2) and 9(4) of the ADC Constitution (2022, as amended).”

He further stated that the party’s constitution does not grant an outgoing chairman the authority to appoint a successor.

Gombe explained that the process for replacing the national chairman is “explicitly outlined in the constitution, and Nwosu’s actions disregarded this procedure.”

He noted, “I was present at the meeting and can attest that the gathering was not intended for the unveiling of Mark and Aregbesola as party leaders.

“My attendance at the meeting and previous engagements with coalition partners from April 2024 to July 2025 do not imply endorsement of the irregular appointments.

“There was no formal vote or consensus on the appointments, and several National Working Committee members, including myself, were taken aback by the developments.”

He also noted that after Nwosu’s announcement, Sa’id Abdullahi, who was then the party’s national secretary, stepped down, citing unclear circumstances.

“None of the NWC members was privy to the situation, and neither Nwosu nor Abdullahi had discussed the matter with us prior to the meeting,” the ADC factional chair stated.

“I trust this clarification addresses the concerns raised by the circulating videos of my humble self on social media platforms. I appreciate the opportunity to provide accurate information and set the record straight.”

Speaking further, ADC spokesperson, Abdullahi specifically accused Dumebi Kachikwu of instigating the “disgruntled” state chairmen to address Tuesday’s press conference, adding that the party, under the leadership of David Mark, would proceed with its congresses starting on Friday.

Abdullahi said, “I believe what is going on is the manifestation of, to paraphrase Bola Ige, another hand of the same leprous fingers. Having seen that the Nafiu Bala Gombe case will, under legal circumstances, not hold water, they have now found an alternative in some of these state chairmen. But we have 37 state chairmen; how many of them have gathered here to say what they are saying?

“They mentioned Dumebi Kachikwu. Have we forgotten that on March 26, the Federal High Court dismissed the case he filed against the leadership of David Mark on the grounds that it was not justiciable, as it concerned the internal affairs of a political party? We have not heard that he has appealed the judgment. Now, he is using the opportunity to rally some of these disgruntled state chairmen and open another chapter. What the court denied him, he is trying to get through a press conference. We see it as a continuation of the same effort to destabilise our party.”

He also dismissed suggestions that members should defect to another party, alleging that the ruling party’s agenda was to weaken opposition parties and ensure that President Bola Tinubu emerges as the sole viable candidate in the 2027 election. (PUNCH)

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