A deep internal crisis has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following a strong warning issued by a faction loyal to the party’s National Chairman, Nafiu Bala, cautioning opposition heavyweights against trying to “hijack the party” ahead of the 2027 elections.
The warning was delivered on Thursday by the ADC Board of Trustees (BoT) during a press conference in Abuja, where they passed a vote of confidence in Bala and declared the rival, David Mark-led coalition an illegal structure.
BoT Secretary, Chief Rufus Ekenmi, condemned what he termed “an attempt by some individuals who illegally sneaked into the party in the name of a coalition, infesting the ADC with the political spirit of insubordination.”
Ekenmi, whose statement was read by BoT member Abdulmumeeni Ibraheem, explicitly named the key figures targeted by the warning: “The Board of Trustees of the ADC has observed with no little misgiving that there’s an attempt to hijack the party by the likes of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, David Mark, El-Rufai, Rauf Aregbesola, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Babachir Lawal, Emeka Ihedioha, Liyel Imoke, and others, which is illegal and condemnable.”
The faction further described these figures as “politicians with a high propensity for impatience.” The BoT mandated Chairman Bala to activate a disciplinary committee to sanction any ADC member found interacting with the listed leaders, insisting the party “will not condone any act of lawlessness by its members.”
Reacting to the endorsement, Nafiu Bala vowed to uphold the party’s constitution and promised to be fair and objective in his leadership. However, he sharply accused members of the opposing coalition of operating from a parallel headquarters in breach of the ADC constitution.
“I must state unequivocally that our party constitution unambiguously stipulates that only registered members in good standing are entitled to party privileges, including access to official premises,” Bala said.
He warned that the rival group had “circumvented the rules governing party operations, the Electoral Act, and the 1999 Constitution,” threatening internal democracy. Bala also criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for recognizing Mark as ADC chairman despite him not being a registered party member. “The situation remains fluid as stakeholders await a decision from the Federal High Court, which is currently challenging INEC’s recognition of David Mark’s leadership of the ADC—a leadership position for which he does not hold party membership,” Bala noted.
The crisis escalated just three days after the Mark-led faction inaugurated a new national secretariat in a building previously used as Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign office.
When contacted for comment, the National Publicity Secretary for the Mark-led faction, Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed the Bala faction’s claims, stating they would not legitimize the internal wrangling. “We don’t like engaging in this kind of conversation. In fact, we are not aware that any faction exists, and we don’t want to continue to give life to that story,” he argued.
Abdullahi also countered suggestions that occupying the former Atiku office signaled a major realignment. “Atiku used to be the tenant of this building. But his tenancy has lapsed. The African Democratic Congress is now the tenant of this building. This is not an indication of anything,” he said.
He confirmed that while key political assets like Obi and El-Rufai were expected to “come back fully” following the conclusion of the Anambra governorship election, the ADC remains committed to fairness as it prepares for its February congresses. This commitment comes despite the party pushing key coalition leaders to formally resign from their current parties and register fully with the ADC—a move resisted by figures like Peter Obi, who, through his former campaign spokesman Dr. Yunusa Tanko, insisted he would“clarify his position only after the November 8 Anambra election” and “would not be rushed.”
The party’s internal wrangling first intensified in August when Nafiu Bala announced he had assumed office as National Chairman, escalating the leadership tussle that threatens to split the ADC ahead of the 2027 polls.
