By Amah
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The internal crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken a dramatic new turn, with the emergence of a third faction, deepening concerns over the party’s stability and its prospects ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Once considered a viable alternative in Nigeria’s political space, the party has in recent months been trapped in a widening leadership struggle involving rival camps laying claim to its national structure. The crisis initially centred on competing leadership claims between factions aligned with former Senate President David Mark and another led by Nafiu Bala Gombe.
The situation has since been complicated by the involvement of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), whose decisions on recognition and correspondence have heightened tensions, alongside conflicting legal interpretations, following rulings from the Court of Appeal.
In the latest escalation, a new faction loyal to the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, has emerged, rejecting both the Mark-led leadership and the Gombe camp.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the group endorsed INEC’s withdrawal of recognition from the Mark-led executive, describing it as consistent with judicial pronouncements. It also dismissed the Gombe faction as lacking legitimacy, insisting it did not emerge through any constitutionally recognised process.
The faction announced an interim leadership structure led by Kingsley Temitope, drawn from multiple state chapters, and justified its actions as a “rescue mission” to preserve the party’s legal standing and prevent possible exclusion from future elections due to internal disarray.
According to its spokesperson, Obinna Don Norman, the group is positioning itself as the only credible structure capable of interfacing with INEC and stabilising the party pending the resolution of ongoing legal disputes.
Central to its argument is the claim that the Mark-led leadership does not meet constitutional requirements, particularly regarding membership eligibility, while also questioning the legality of planned party congresses, which it says were never ratified by the National Executive Committee. The faction insists that the NEC remains the only valid organ authorised to take binding decisions on behalf of the party.
However, the Mark-aligned camp has dismissed the development as opportunistic. Party spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, argued that only a minority of state chairmen were involved and suggested that the move was an attempt to exploit the party’s internal challenges.
Similarly, Deputy National Publicity Secretary Queen Okiyi rejected the faction’s legitimacy, accusing its members of indiscipline and alleging prior misconduct, including defiance of party rules and disciplinary measures.
With multiple factions now entrenched, court cases unresolved, and INEC’s position still shaping the party’s operational reality, the ADC faces a defining moment. The outcome of this crisis will not only determine the party’s survival but could also influence the configuration of Nigeria’s opposition politics as the 2027 elections draw closer.
