The crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deepened on Tuesday as a third faction formally announced its emergence.
The new splinter group has declared that neither the coalition led by former Senate President David Mark nor the group loyal to Nafiu Bala speaks for the party.
The new faction, led by Don Norman Obinna, claims to be the legitimate National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ADC. At a press briefing in Abuja, the group squarely rejected the leadership of Senator David Mark’s coalition, which had previously taken over the party structure from former chairman Ralph Nwosu.
According to Obinna’s group, Ralph Nwosu’s tenure as national chairman legally ended in August 2022. They argued that Nwosu lacked the authority to hand over the party to the opposition coalition, describing the transfer as an illegal act.
“The handover to the David Mark coalition was an illegal act taken by Nwosu. His tenure had expired, and he had since faced a series of litigations for failing to step down,” a spokesman for the new faction stated.
The group also distanced itself from Nafiu Bala, insisting that Bala never held the position of National Vice Chairman of the ADC.
Key resolutions announced by the faction include:
· A complete dissociation from Senator David Mark and all members of his coalition.
· A declaration that the Mark coalition are not members of the ADC and have no right to speak for the party.
· A reaffirmation that the party’s former presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, remains a legitimate member of the ADC.
· The appointment of new managers to oversee the party’s affairs until a national convention is conducted.
With this latest split, the ADC now has at least three warring groups, raising fresh questions about which leadership structure the electoral commission will recognize ahead of future elections.
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