No secret deals with factional chair – ADC

The African Democratic Congress has dismissed claims of any agreement to make Nafiu Bala Gombe the vice chairman for the North East, insisting that no such arrangement exists within the party.

ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH that the coalition party’s crisis was being orchestrated by the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.

On Saturday, Ishaku Abbo, a former lawmaker representing Adamawa North, attributed the leadership crisis in the ADC to betrayal, internal conflicts, and outside interference.

Reacting on his verified Facebook page, Abbo said the crisis started after Nafiu Bala Gombe and other members of the NWC resigned alongside Ralph Nwosu to pave the way for a new leadership headed by Mark.

He stated, “If you check the picture below, the man sitting before me is Nafiu Bala. He was at the Yar’Adua Centre, clapping and cheering as David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola took over as national chairman and secretary, respectively.

“The agreement made with the legacy party was to cede certain positions to them from each geopolitical zone so that they can be part of the larger African Democratic Congress.

“During the formation of the David Mark-led NWC, the new leadership allegedly failed to uphold the earlier agreement to make Bala the national vice chairman for the North East, instead appointing Babachir David Lawal to the position.”

Reacting, Abdullahi said the national leadership of the ADC was not involved in any agreement with Nafiu.

He stated, “All this talk about the ADC not keeping an agreement is not true. There is no such agreement. If there were any local discussions about sharing positions in the North East, we are not aware of them.

“The party is not aware. It is wrong for anyone to use this as a justification to, in connivance with the APC-led government, destroy the African Democratic Congress.

“We believe he is being sponsored by the government to destabilise our party.

“This is why Bayo Onanuga (Special Adviser to the President on Media) and others are celebrating him.

One of them even said on television that the aim is to frustrate us because we took Rotimi Amaechi and Nasir El-Rufai from them. So, what more evidence do you need?

“Despite this, we are moving ahead with our plans. Congresses and the convention will hold as scheduled. INEC is not a court.”

On Wednesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced that it had removed key figures of the African Democratic Congress, including David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, from its records.

The commission, through its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information Committee, Mohammed Haruna, explained that the decision followed a court order directing it to maintain the status quo pending the final ruling of the trial court.

The party has been embroiled in a leadership crisis since 2025, after a new National Working Committee led by Mark emerged in July.

The dispute arose from disagreements 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, insisted he should assume the position of acting chairman following Nwosu’s exit.

The crisis worsened as rival factions contested control, leading to several cases at the appellate and apex courts, raising concerns about the party’s preparedness for the 2027 elections.

However, speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Mark maintained that party activities, including congresses, would go ahead as planned, while describing INEC’s action as unlawful.

ADC insists on congresses

The ADC has insisted that despite its ongoing leadership dispute, it will continue preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, the leader of the ADC in Katsina State and former Minister of State for Education, Lawal Tukur Batagarawa, alleged that INEC deliberately misinterpreted the court’s directive to maintain “status quo ante bellum” by suspending the party’s leadership structure.

He confirmed that ward, local government, state, and national congresses would proceed as planned, including the party’s national convention scheduled for April 14.

“The national headquarters, the national leadership of the party, in a meeting, decided that we will continue with our political activities.

“Therefore, congresses at the polling booth level, at the ward level, at the local government level, at the state level, and the national convention slated for the 14th of April will go ahead,” he said. (Punch)