ADC Crisis: Third Faction Emerges
The leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress has deepened further with the emergence of a third faction led by Abia State Chairman Don Norman Obinna, rejecting both the Senator David Mark-led coalition and the group associated with Nafiu Bala. The development comes days after the Independent National Electoral Commission delisted the Mark faction from its register of political parties.
At a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Obinna declared that his group represents the authentic National Executive Committee of the party, citing a December 2022 court ruling that nullified the tenure of former Chairman Ralph Nwosu. “The tenure of Ralph Nwosu as Chairman of the ADC ended in August of 2022,” Obinna stated. “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.”
The faction specifically distanced the party from Nafiu Bala, clarifying that he “never held the position of deputy chairman of the ADC.” This statement follows Bala’s recent denial that he endorsed the Mark leadership, despite video evidence confirming his attendance at the July 2025 unveiling ceremony. Bala had claimed the appointments violated the party constitution and that no formal vote endorsed Mark’s emergence.
The Obinna-led NEC also affirmed that Dumebi Kachikwu, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, “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.”
The faction disclosed that new interim leaders have been appointed to oversee party activities until a national convention is held, though specific names were not immediately released. The group urged INEC to accord the new leadership “the necessary recognition and support in order to save the African Democratic Congress from total collapse.”
The crisis traces back to August 2022, when Nwosu’s tenure expired. His attempt to convene a “mini convention” in Zaria in October 2022 to reappoint himself and allies was rejected by INEC. Following an alternative dispute resolution process, both parties agreed the ADC would hold a convention to produce new leadership—a commitment that remains unfulfilled nearly two years later.
The Mark-led faction, which had announced plans for congresses and a convention scheduled for 7th to 14th April 2026, has described INEC’s delisting action as “an effort to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.”