A new leadership crisis has emerged in the African Democratic Congress as Nafi’u Bala, the party’s former Gombe State governorship candidate and ex-national deputy chairman, declared himself the interim national chairman.
At a late-night press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Bala accused the David Mark-led faction of illegally seizing control of the party and violating its constitution, vowing to challenge the takeover in court.
“We wish to draw the attention of all members of our great party and Nigerians at large, to the ongoing acts of political hooliganism being perpetrated by some individuals who were hitherto entrusted with the leadership of the party,” Bala stated.
He described the leadership transition as a “shameful political takeover orchestrated by outsiders” and alleged that party structures had been unlawfully handed over to external political figures with no prior affiliation to the ADC.
Bala’s declaration comes weeks after Ralph Nwosu, the party’s founder and former national chairman, dissolved the National Working Committee on July 2 and endorsed an interim leadership headed by former Senate President David Mark.
That decision followed the adoption of the ADC as the coalition platform for the 2027 elections by prominent opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Uche Secondus, Aminu Tambuwal, Peter Obi, and Nasir el-Rufai.
However, Bala dismissed the transition as a “political melodrama” and a betrayal of the ADC’s founding principles. He argued that legitimate party members were sidelined in favor of “political strangers,” stressing that only elected officials have the constitutional authority to manage party affairs.
“In the history of democracy all over the world, no party leader or group of leaders has the power to arbitrarily transfer elected mandates or political authority to non-members,” Bala emphasized. He maintained that the ADC’s constitution outlines clear succession procedures and that, based on these provisions, he is the rightful interim chairman.
Bala called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognize him as the ADC’s legitimate leader, warning that legal action would follow if the Mark-led faction continues to disregard the party’s rules.
“I call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently recognize me as the legitimate chairman of the African Democratic Congress,” he said. He also pledged to challenge what he termed an “unprecedented act of impunity” in court if necessary.
