𝗔𝗗𝗖 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀, 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗖 𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗳 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗪𝗖.

𝗕𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗔 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘,

8𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹, 2026.

The crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) escalated on Tuesday as 25 state chairmen announced they had taken over the party’s leadership and constituted an interim committee to manage its affairs.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the chairmen, led by Abia State Chairman, Don Norman Obinna, declared their support for the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend the National Working Committee (NWC) led by former Senate President, David Mark.

Obinna said the state chairmen had stepped in to prevent the collapse of the party, insisting that the ADC “has no faction” and rejecting the authority of both the Mark-led NWC and a factional leadership linked to Nafiu Bala Gombe.

“The following members have been appointed to manage the day-to-day affairs of the party pending the election of a new NWC,” Obinna announced, adding that the arrangement would last for three weeks ahead of a national convention.

“We urge INEC to accord them the necessary recognition and support and save the ADC from total collapse.”

The interim committee comprises representatives from several states, including Kogi, Edo, Borno, Jigawa, Osun, Bayelsa, Enugu and others.

The chairmen also took aim at former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu, accusing him of overstaying his tenure and triggering the leadership crisis.

“The tenure of our former chairman, Ralph Nwosu, ended in August 2022,” Obinna said. “His refusal to step down led to a series of litigations, with the court ruling that any action taken after that period is null and void.”

He further alleged that Nwosu conducted an “illegal convention” in 2022 where he reappointed himself and others, a process he said was rejected by INEC.

Obinna maintained that the ADC’s National Executive Committee (NEC), comprising state chairmen, remains the highest legitimate authority in the party.

“In the absence of a valid NWC, the NEC remains the only authority to speak on behalf of the ADC,” he said. “We dissociate the ADC from David Mark and all members of the so-called coalition who attempted to hijack our party. Their actions are not binding on the ADC.”

He added that the NEC had never been properly convened under the Mark-led leadership, in violation of the party’s constitution.

“Since the emergence of David Mark’s NWC, we’ve never held a NEC meeting. They reside in Abuja and make decisions without consulting state chairmen,” he said.

Obinna also defended former presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, describing him as a “bonafide member” and dismissing his reported suspension as “an act of desperation taken too far.”

On his part, Kogi State Chairman, Temitope Kingsley Ogga, argued that members of the Mark-led coalition were ineligible to contest for positions within the party.

“There’s a clause that says if you’ve not been a member up to two years, you can’t contest for elective positions. These people are not up to two years,” Ogga said. “We warned them, but they ignored the party’s constitution.”

The chairmen insisted their intervention was necessary to preserve the party’s structure and legacy.

“We have laboured for this party and we won’t allow it to go down the drain,” Ogga added.

The development marks a significant escalation in the internal leadership dispute within the ADC, with multiple factions laying claim to legitimacy amid INEC’s intervention.