Crisis seems to be brewing in the Gombe State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the party is factionalised, with each of the camps claiming legitimacy.

Daily Trust reports that one faction of the party is led by Auwal Abba Barde, who has a long-standing history in the saddle, while another is led by Danladi Ya’u.

The faction led by Auwal Abba Barde, at the weekend expelled the party’s 2015 governorship candidate in Gombe State, Nafiu Bala, over alleged anti-party activities.

It also accused Bala of parading himself as acting national chairman of the party.

Announcing the decision in a statement at the weekend in Gombe, Barde said Bala’s expulsion followed the recommendation of the Nasarawo Ward Disciplinary Committee, which “indicted him for gross misconduct and anti-party activities.”

He said Bala was invited to defend himself but failed to appear before the committee, stressing that the State Executive Committee had ratified the decision and would forward the same to the party’s national headquarters for final action.

The Barde-led faction also suspended the deputy chairman, Nasiru Lawan; state chairman, Danladi Ya’u and Youth Leader, Abdulkadir Sa’idu (Digiri).

There are arguments that Barde had been expelled from the ADC since 2022, a claim he has refuted.

Daily Trust reports that the national leadership of the ADC had in 2022, submitted Ya’u’s name to the Independent National Electoral Committee (INEC), introducing him as Gombe acting state chairman.

The letter was signed by the then national chairman and secretary of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu and Sa’ad Baba Abdullahi, received and stamped by INEC on December 8, 2022.

The letter addressed to INEC chairman and titled, “introduction of newly appointed acting states chairmen” also included those for Ekiti, Sokoto, Jigawa and Borno states.

However, Barde stressed that the ADC would not condone indiscipline or sabotage, assuring members that the party remained united and focused on winning more seats in 2027.

But reacting to his expulsion, Nafiu Bala described the decision as null and void, insisting that he remained the authentic acting national chairman of the ADC.

He alleged that Barde had been expelled from the ADC since 2022 and therefore lacked the authority to sanction him.

Bala maintained that both the Nigerian Constitution and the ADC Constitution require expelled members or new entrants to re-register at the ward level before regaining or becoming members of the party.

“As acting national chairman, the only Gombe State chairman I recognise is Malam Ya’u Danladi, not Auwal Barde. Those who organised the press conference were only sent to destabilise the unity of our party,” Bala said.

He explained that his emergence as acting national chairman followed the voluntary resignation of the substantive chairman and some members of the National Working Committee (NWC), while he was deputy chairman.

Bala explained that his new position was duly communicated to INEC, after which he convened an emergency meeting with “genuine state chairmen recognised by the electoral body.”

He also advised the interim national chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, to properly resign his membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) before having a say in the affairs of the ADC.

Ya’u-led faction backs Mark-led leadership

Meanwhile, the Danladi Ya’u-led faction has endorsed the Senator David Mark-led national leadership of the party. The decision was reached during its state executive committee and general meeting of the party held at the weekend in Gombe.

Addressing the meeting, Ya’u also frowned at Nafiu Bala’s claim of being the ADC acting national chairman and disassociated his camp from Bala’s claim.

He said declaring himself as national chairman of the ADC, when Mark is already in charge, is “divisive and self-centred.”

He said, “We want to use this medium to distance ourselves and the entire executives of Gombe ADC, from the self-centred political ambition of Nafiu Bala. However, we categorically reaffirm our total allegiance to the leadership of Senator David Mark.”

He stated that the state chapter of the party has no objection to Senator Mark’s chairmanship, adding that the coming of the coalition of opposition leaders into the ADC was a plus to the party.

He said victory is the goal of every political party, expressing optimism that with people like David Mark in its fold, the ADC would defeat the APC and PDP in the 2027 general elections. (Daily Trust)