African Democratic Congress (ADC) concluded its 8th national convention held on Tuesday in Abuja with the ratification of the David Mark-led National Working Committee of the party and expulsion of some members who are currently in court contesting the leadership of the party
The delegates from the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) voted overwhelmingly to affirm David Mark-leadership to steer the party affairs for the next four years.
The convention also approved key amendments to the partyโs constitution through voting.
The expulsion of Nafiu Bala and others from the party over alleged anti-party activities was also announced at the National Convention held on Tuesday in Abuja.
A motion for their expulsion was moved and seconded during the convention.
The report of the partyโs disciplinary committee, as read at the convention, stated:
โMr. Nafiu Bala, Odion Kennedy, Mrs. Stella Chukwuma, Johnny, Derek, and Elias have been given time to retrace their actions but have failed to do so.
โConsequently, the Convention is respectfully invited to expel the above-named persons for anti-party activities.
โPursuant to Article 92 of the Constitution of the Party, which provides that the National Convention shall have the power to suspend or expel any member of the party, exercise control, and take disciplinary action on all individuals, organs, officers, and members of the Party,โ.
The party has been embroiled in a leadership crisis, with two factions laying claim to ADC leadership.
Nafiu Bala had filed a suit seeking to stop the David Mark-led ADC from parading itself as the partyโs
Speaking earlier at the event, leaders of the party stressed the need for unity and adoption of a credible candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The leaders, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as well as former Governors Rotimi Amaechi and Peter Obi.
Amaechi, while speaking at the convention, noted that electoral success was dependent on presenting a strong and widely acceptable candidate.
He recalled the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that leaders then set aside ethnic and religious sentiments to rally behind a competent candidate with broad national appeal.
โWe did it in APC,โ Amaechi said, stressing that party stakeholders deliberately chose a viable candidate and avoided divisive considerations that could weaken unity and electoral prospects.
He, however, expressed the regret that Nigeria had regressed into divisive politics, with ethnicity and religion dominating discourse, blaming the trend for worsening national challenges and weakening cohesion among citizens.
Amaechi said that economic realities should guide national thinking, noting that markets were driven by currency value, not identity, even as he called on citizens to prioritise shared prosperity over sectional sentiments.Politics
โToday, religion and ethnicity brought us here. There is no Muslim market, no Christian market; the market is Naira,โ he said, calling on Nigerians to embrace unity and economic pragmatism above divisive affiliations.
He also urged the party members to make informed decisions, expressing optimism that unity, merit and pragmatism would shape the partyโs choices ahead of the 2027 elections.
Also speaking, Obi said that while leaders had spoken well, Nigerians must confront realities through data.
He noted that Nigeria moved from fourth position to eighth in global terrorism ranking, warning that further decline could occur without decisive and collective national action.African economy outlook
Obi also stated that Nigeriaโs debt had increased from N87 trillion to about N200 trillion, submitting that borrowings had surged despite subsidy removal.
The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate decried what he called low funding of the 2025 budget, with its attendant implications on the nationโs economy.
While cautioning that failure to act could endanger future generations, he urged Nigerians to work collectively to prevent economic collapse.
On his own part, Abubakar enjoined ADC members and Nigerians to ensure meaningful change in the countryโs political direction.Politics
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He said his generation remained committed to securing a better future for youths, stressing that current efforts were driven by concern for younger Nigerians and future generations.
The former vice-president assured that corruption would not be tolerated under ADC, promising strict governance and refusal to compromise with criminal elements or terrorists threatening national stability.
He described the struggle as one for all Nigerians, calling for collective responsibility in restoring democracy and national integrity across institutions and governance structures.
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In his remarks, Mark commended the planning committeeโs chairman, describing the convention as organised and superior to previous conventions he had attended in the course of his political career.Politics
He described the convention as the beginning of ADCโs march toward national leadership, urging members to remain committed to the growth and development of the party.
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