‘We support INEC’ – ADC state chairmen back delisting of David Mark leadership

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‘We support INEC’ – ADC state chairmen back delisting of David Mark leadership

The leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has further deepened as state chairmen of the party have backed the Independent National Electoral Commission’s decision to delist the David Mark-led leadership.

Abia State ADC Chapter Chairman, Don Norman Obinna, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said the state chairmen have dissociated themselves from the David Mark and Nafiu Bala Gombe factions of the ADC.

According to him, the decision was reached on Tuesday after a National Executive Committee meeting held in Abuja.

Obinna, flanked by other state chairmen, said, “We are in total support of INEC in derecognizing the David Mark-led faction.”

He said the leadership of the ADC, under the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, is legal and authentic.

“ADC has no faction; we are the legal leadership.

“The tenure of Ralph Nwosu as Chairman of the ADC ended in August of 2022.

“Nwosu’s refusal to step down as chairman led to a series of litigations with Justice Nyako ruling in December of 2022 that Nwosu’s tenure had indeed expired and that any action taken by him and his NWC after the expiration were null and void.

“One of the illegal actions taken by Nwosu was the convening of a mini convention in Zaria in October of 2022 where he reappointed himself and the likes of Nafiu Gombe as the NWC of the party, but INEC firmly rejected this convention.

“This matter subsequently went all the way to the Supreme Court when the group now known and referred to as the David Mark led coalition transacted with Ralph Nwosu.

5. Prior to this unholy transaction, INEC received several communications from the NEC of the party from August of 2022 but curiously refused to act even on valid court orders.

“Nwosu pronounced the suspension and in some cases the expulsion of state chairmen of the party who opposed his bid to continue as chairman of the party.

INEC eventually initiated an alternative dispute resolution mechanism to resolve the issues within the ADC.

“The key outcome of the ADR which was signed by both parties was that the ADC would immediately go into a convention to produce a new leadership.

“This has not been done almost two years after but instead he attempted to illegally transfer leadership of the party to people who were not members of the ADC.

“The David Mark led leadership put in place measures to remove all the state chairmen of the party for the simple reason that they did not fit the mold of chairmen who could represent the elite.

“We had filed two court cases challenging the illegality of their actions prior to INEC’s recent position.

“In the absence of the National Working Committee since August 2022, the NEC being a constitutional, valid and subsisting organ of the party remains the only authority to speak on behalf of the ADC

Arising from an emergency NEC meeting held today the 7th of April, 2026, now therefore resolve and state the following:

“We disassociate the ADC from David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Bolaji Abdullahi, Prof Osunbor and all members of the so-called coalition who attempted to hijack our party and state that all actions taken by them in the name of the ADC are not binding on the ADC.

“We disassociate the ADC from the claims of Nafiu Gombe and firmly and unequivocally state that he has never held the position of deputy chairman of the ADC. The ADC remains a party of and for all Nigerians and not just for former political office holders and the elites. The ADC is also not for sale.

“The people who have called themselves the Coalition have no democratic credentials and are only interested in a power grab as evidenced by the way and manner in which they attempted to hijack our party and throw out the original members.

“We affirm that our former presidential candidate, Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, is a committed and bona fide member of our party whose purported expulsion by the David Mark led group was an act of desperation taken too far.

“We put on notice all embassies and high commissions in Nigeria that the David Mark led coalition are not members of the ADC and don’t speak for the ADC.

“The following members of the ADC have been appointed to manage the day-to-day affairs of our party pending the election of a new NWC in our soon to be conducted convention. We wish them success and urge INEC to accord them the necessary recognition and support in order to save the African Democratic Congress from total collapse,” stated.

INEC had last week delisted the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC.

The Mark-led leadership had kicked against the development, describing the move as an effort to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

It said the ADC would continue with its congresses and convention scheduled for 7th to 14th April 2026.