ADC faction moves to install interim leadership, plans national convention
A faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by its 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, has announced plans to convene a national convention and constitute an interim leadership to manage the party’s affairs.
The announcement was made on Tuesday in Abuja by the group’s spokesperson, Norman Obinna, during a media briefing following what he described as an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. He said the meeting, attended by state chairmen and other NEC members, was convened to address the party’s protracted leadership crisis.
According to Obinna, a key outcome of earlier Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) efforts was an agreement for the party to hold a national convention to produce a new leadership — a process he said has yet to be implemented nearly two years on.
“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,” he said.
He accused the former national leadership under Ralph Nwosu of attempting to unlawfully transfer control of the party to individuals who were not members, while also moving to sideline 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 said it had filed two court cases challenging the legality of those actions, even before the recent position taken by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Citing what it described as the absence of a National Working Committee since August 2022, the group maintained that the NEC remains the party’s highest legitimate authority.
Among its resolutions, the faction announced a formal disassociation from a rival coalition linked to figures including David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and Bolaji Abdullahi, insisting that actions taken in the ADC’s name by the group were not binding.
It also rejected claims by Nafiu Bala Gombe to any leadership role, stating he had never served as deputy national chairman.
Obinna said the ADC remained a platform open to all Nigerians, accusing the rival coalition of attempting a “power grab” at the expense of longstanding members. He reaffirmed Kachikwu’s status as “a committed and bona fide member” of the party.
The faction also notified diplomatic missions not to recognise the rival coalition as representing the ADC.
As part of its resolutions, it announced the appointment of an interim leadership to oversee day-to-day administration pending the election of a new National Working Committee at the proposed convention, urging INEC to grant it formal recognition.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of wider tensions within the party. In September 2025, Gombe filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging the legality of the National Working Committee led by Mark and Aregbesola, claiming he ought to have assumed leadership following Nwosu’s resignation and alleging that his resignation letter was forged.
On April 1, INEC removed the names of Mark and Aregbesola from its portal, citing a court order to maintain the status quo — a move the party says has undermined its ability to prepare for the 2027 elections.
The ADC, adopted as a coalition platform in July 2025, is positioning itself to challenge Bola Tinubu in 2027, with figures such as Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai and Rabiu Kwankwaso linked to the broader coalition.