ADC leadership crisis escalates into three-way battle ahead of 2027 elections

However, it is now becoming very clear that the internal crisis in ADC is becoming a political fight among the party stakeholders. In this situation, there are three major groups battling for control of the party. What used to be a dispute between leaders is now a winner-takes-all struggle that raises a lot of questions about the stability of the party before the 2027 general election.

There are currently three rival groups in ADC who represent the interests of David Mark, Nafiu Gombe, and Dumebi Kachikwu, together with his close ally Kingsley Temitope Ogga. The three rivals are battling for control of the party while accusing each other of being unlawful, abusing powers, and attempting to hijack the structure of the party for selfish gains.

APC and Presidency Under the Spotlight

The leadership of David Mark’s faction has gone public with accusations against APC and the Presidency regarding their roles in the ongoing struggle in ADC. To begin with, the activities and moves made by Gombe and Kachikwu factions seem to fit perfectly with the agenda of weakening opposition and paving the way for re-election of Bola Tinubu in 2027.

The members of Mark’s camp were shocked that one of their own, Nafiu Gombe, who was an active participant during all the decision-making processes that led to the appointment of Mark as National Chairman, could now be disavowing everything.

A senior member of the group cast aspersions on the authenticity of Gombe, saying that he had been involved in all the processes leading to the appointment of Mark but was now backing away from it.

“How will a person who has taken part in all the processes that have led to Senator Mark being appointed as National Chairman suddenly awaken to disavow the process? Nafiu Gombe has been attending all the meetings. It is clear that some of them are now working with the APC,” he added.

Gombe Camp Defends Its Stand

On its part, Gombe’s camp has categorically refused to concede that Gombe has resigned his post as deputy National Chairman. He says that he was automatically made Acting Chairman when former Party boss Ralph Okey Nwosu quit his post.

The Gombe camp rejects the allegations leveled at them as being unconstitutional and devoid of any legitimacy.

In the meantime, the APC and the presidency have also reacted by rejecting allegations of interference. The APC and Presidency criticised the leadership of the Mark-led APC because it could not take care of its own house.

According to a presidency insider,

“After the ADC sale, the sellers failed to take on board all top stakeholders. And now, they are coming to blame the presidency.”

The back-and-forth accusations show how politically charged and distrustful the whole situation is getting.

Ally to Enemy? A Growing Crisis

It gets even worse because the people who are involved in this political turmoil were once political allies. What used to be a relationship of trust has been torn apart by the conflict and turned these once-allied figures into enemies vying for control.

The whole situation escalated when the court ruled that all congresses and conventions in the party should stop. But one side is accused of flouting this rule.

A Spark that Fanned the Flames: The Court Intervenes

The order by the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, which instructed all parties in the case to keep status quo until the legal proceedings ended and to suspend all congresses and conventions in the party was made on April 14, 2026.

Interestingly, it happened on the very same day when the Mark-led faction held its National Convention – something which is now one of the most controversial events during the ongoing political turmoil in the country.

Decision to hold the convention even after receiving the court directive is widely condemned by political analysts and other interested parties.

Kachikwu Calls It ‘Political Gangsterism’

Representing another faction of the party, Dumebi Kachikwu was very outspoken while criticizing the actions of those who organized the convention. He branded the event as a manifestation of “political gangsterism” with organizers provoking unrest within the party.

“They have one agenda – if we can’t have it, no one else can,” he said.

What is more, Kachikwu warned that the above mentioned actions might lead to much wider and far-reaching consequences for the whole country.

According to him, some politicians are putting their own interests first, thereby undermining national stability. He pointed out that “institutional sabotage” by the old political class of Nigeria is not something that can be afforded anymore.

Mark Camp Says Everything Is According to Rules

In the case of the formation of their interim Caretaker National Working Committee (NWC), the group maintained that this was done via proper processes, as approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.

With regard to the creation of their caretaker NWC, the group argued that the NEC had the constitutional mandate for handling all matters regarding the party, making executive decisions, and creating interim committees when necessary.

Regarding the controversial issues of membership criteria, including the two-year period requirement, the group maintained that this was legitimately suspended by resolutions made within the NEC of the party in 2025 to enable coalition deals.

As regards the decision by the Mark group to go ahead and hold their congress, they accused those who had raised concerns about the legitimacy of this move of violating party protocols and seeking to take matters to court without following the required internal dispute resolution process.

Disagreement with Mark’s Group

On the other hand, the group led by Gombe rejected all the claims put forward by the Mark faction, describing the whole procedure as unconstitutional.

For instance, according to this group, neither David Mark nor his associates fulfilled the necessary requirements to enable them to occupy an office in the party at the national level.

These include mandatory two years in membership, as well as ward registration. Further, the faction disagreed with Ralph Nwosu being able to transfer powers to anyone without the mandate of the people.

They stated that for a constitutional amendment to be done, it was necessary to do so during a National Convention where due notice had been issued.

In addition, it should be agreed upon by a majority of the delegates. According to the group, Gombe became the chairman since he was deputy national chairman, and thus everything done by Mark and his group was illegal.

Finally, they rely on court cases being filed by Gombe supporters in Federal High Court and the ruling of a Court of Appeal to maintain status quo.

Third Group Refuses To Recognize Legitimacy of Any of the Sides

Further adding to the confusion is the third group consisting of Kachikwu and backed by other state chairmen.

As per this group, they do not recognize either the Mark or the Gombe camp because none of them was created through a legitimate process as per the constitution.

It is believed that the alleged caretaker management of the congress was done without the approval from a legitimate NEC, whose members include all the state chairmen.

The third group also condemned the move to transfer the structures of the party without the necessary authorization.

Stating that they are a reformist group, they have pledged to restore internal democracy, respect the rule of law, and get ready for the 2027 general elections.

Supporting the de-recognition move by INEC, the third group also welcomed court orders.

One Party, Three Different Leadership Groups

Because each side interprets the constitution of the party in its own unique way, the ADC now appears to have become three different parties, each with a separate leadership group and organizational structure.

The political analysts believe that there are underlying problems, such as power struggles, ideological conflicts, and disagreements about the future of the party as an opposition force in the country.

This is evident from Kachikwu’s statement, who criticized the politicians involved in the current crisis by saying that:

“Men with abysmal records in public service now claim to be on a rescue mission. But it is a mission to rescue their personal economies.”

Uncertainty about the Future in the 2027 General Election

With legal battles ongoing, efforts for reconciliation failing, and no end in sight, it appears that the ADC will struggle to emerge as a strong opposition party in the 2027 general election.

With the court orders, expulsion notices, and rival conventions, it appears that the ADC is in a state of constant turmoil.

As one of the insiders stated, “everyone wants the party, but no one wants to lose.”

Everybody’s Watching the Supreme Court

With the situation remaining tense and unresolved, all eyes are now on the Supreme Court, where the case will be heard this coming Wednesday.

The result of the Supreme Court’s decision might very well prove to be crucial in establishing who will take charge of the party and its prospects for the 2027 election.

In the meantime, the ADC remains bitterly divided a party embroiled in an intense internal struggle.

(Vanguard)