An African Democratic Congress (ADC) faction, headed by its 2023 presidential standard-bearer Dumebi Kachikwu, has declared its intention to organize a national convention and establish an interim leadership team to oversee party operations.
During a Tuesday press conference in Abuja, the group’s spokesperson, Norman Obinna, revealed that these decisions followed an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) session involving state chairmen and other high-ranking members aimed at resolving the party’s protracted internal strife.
Obinna explained that previous Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) agreements mandated a convention to elect new leadership—a step he claims has been stalled for nearly two years.
He stated, “The key outcome of the ADR, which was signed by both parties, was that the ADC would inevitably go into a convention to produce a new leadership. This has not been done for almost two years after.”
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The spokesperson further alleged that the former leadership, led by Ralph Nwosu, tried to hand over party control to non-members and push out legitimate state chairmen.
“He attempted to illegally transfer leadership of the party to people who were not members of the ADC. He put measures in place to remove all the state chairmen simply because they did not fit the mould of leadership representing elite interests,” Obinna added.
The faction, which maintains that the NEC is the sole governing authority since the National Working Committee’s tenure allegedly ended in August 2022, has already filed two lawsuits to contest these moves.
In a firm break from other party elements, Obinna announced a total disassociation from a high-profile coalition.
“We dissociate the ADC from David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Bolaji Abdullahi and all members of the so-called coalition. All actions taken by them in the name of the ADC are not binding on the party,” he asserted.
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The group also dismissed the leadership claims of Nafiu Bala Gombe, clarifying, “We state clearly that he [Nafiu Gombe] has never held the position of deputy chairman of the ADC.”
Obinna reiterated that the ADC belongs to the Nigerian people rather than an elite “power grab” coalition and reaffirmed that Dumebi Kachikwu remains a dedicated, bona fide member.
In a move to secure the party’s future, the faction notified diplomatic missions to ignore the rival coalition and appointed an interim leadership to manage affairs until the upcoming convention.
Appealing to the electoral umpire, Obinna said, “We urge INEC to accord them the necessary recognition and support in order to save the ADC from total collapse.”
This development follows a complex legal timeline, including a 2025 lawsuit by Gombe and INEC’s April 1 removal of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from its portal, as the party navigates its path toward the 2027 elections.
