A fresh and serious crisis is brewing within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a group of state chairmen under the banner of “Concerned State Chairmen of ADC” has rejected what it described as an illegal takeover of the party by a coalition of high-profile politicians led by former Senate President, David Mark.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the group’s Publicity Secretary, Godwin Alaku, described the adoption of the ADC by opposition figures as “a civilian coup and a reckless subversion of democratic ideals.”
He insisted the party was not for sale, nor available to be hijacked by political elites who “played no role in its formation or growth.”
The David Mark-led interim leadership, backed by political heavyweights such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-governors Nasir El-Rufai, Aminu Tambuwal, Liyel Imoke, Babangida Aliyu, Peter Obi, and Rotimi Amaechi, has declared ADC as the unifying platform for the 2027 general elections.
However, the move has been met with stiff resistance from within the party.
“This clandestine and unconstitutional hijack represents not only a desperate power grab but also a grave assault on our collective political values as a nation,” Alaku said.
“The ADC is not a private property for coalition adventurers. If they are serious, they should go form their own party.”
Alaku argued that the takeover was not an ideological realignment but “a selfish and manipulative scheme by discredited power brokers to secure relevance ahead of 2027.”
He accused the coalition of attempting to destabilize the party through backdoor arrangements, warning the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise any “illegal leadership foisted on the party by force.”
Alaku also urged security agencies to investigate what he described as “unlawful interference in party affairs disguised as coalition building.”
Also speaking at the event, Elias Adokwu, chairman of the group, raised alarm over alleged threats to his life following his opposition to the coalition. “This is no longer politics; it’s intimidation,” he said.
The turmoil traces back to July 2, when the party’s founder and former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, announced the resignation of the party’s National Working Committee and endorsed David Mark as interim chairman.
However, another faction within the party swiftly rejected the decision, describing it as illegal and unrepresentative.
Nwosu later claimed he was offered three ministerial slots in exchange for abandoning the plan to merge ADC into the opposition coalition.
Reacting to the controversy, Dumebi Kachikwu, ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, also condemned the coalition, calling it “a slippery slope that will end in failure.”
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