LAGOS — The management disaster rocking the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has snowballed right into a full-blown political warfare, with three rival camps laying declare to the soul of the occasion in what insiders describe as a fierce “winner-takes-all” battle forward of the 2027 basic elections.
On the coronary heart of the battle are factions loyal to David Mark, Nafiu Gombe, and former presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, alongside his ally, Kingsley Temitope Ogga, every accusing the opposite of illegality, impunity and hijack of occasion buildings.
Leaders of the Senator Mark-led management have pointed accusing fingers on the presidency and the All Progressives Congress, APC, over the stance of the Nafiu Gombe and Kachikwu camps, which they alleged was to pave method for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
“How can any person who took half in all the method that led to the emergence of Senator Mark as nationwide chairman all of the sudden get up to disown the method, claiming he didn’t resign and accusing our leaders of hijacking ADC? Nafiu Gombe attended all of the conferences. It’s apparent a few of them are working for the APC.”
Countering this place, Gombe insisted he didn’t resign as deputy nationwide chairman and now remained appearing chairman after the resignation of Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu.
The APC and the presidency additionally lashed the Mark-led crew for not placing their home so as and shouldn’t blame the federal government and APC.
“After promoting the ADC, the sellers failed to hold all high stakeholders alongside. Now they’re blaming the presidency,” a presidency supply advised Vanguard weekend.
Outdated allies’ struggle exhausting
The disaster, which has pitched previous allies towards each other, escalated following a courtroom order barring congresses and conventions — an order one of many factions is accused of violating.
Courtroom order ignites contemporary storm
On April 14, 2026, a Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja directed all events within the dispute to take care of the established order, halting any congresses or conventions pending the dedication of fits bordering on the occasion’s management.
The order got here the identical day the Mark-led camp was holding a Nationwide Conference, a transfer that has additional fractured the occasion and triggered a volley of accusations.
Kachikwu, who leads one of many contending blocs, described the train as “a present of political gangsterism” allegedly geared toward frightening chaos.
“They’ve one agenda, if we will’t have it, nobody else can,” he stated, warning that such actions might destabilise not simply the occasion however the polity.
He accused additional members of the rival bloc of “enjoying politics with the blood of harmless Nigerians,” insisting that Nigeria “can now not afford institutional sabotage by previous political class.”
Mark camp: We adopted due course of
Nonetheless, the Mark-led management has dismissed the criticisms, insisting that its emergence and actions have been firmly rooted within the occasion’s structure.
The camp maintained that the July 29, 2025, formation of its Caretaker/Interim Nationwide Working Committee, NWC, adopted due course of and was duly ratified by the Nationwide Govt Committee, NEC, according to the occasion’s governing provisions.
In accordance with the faction, NEC possesses the constitutional authority to manage the occasion, implement conference selections and set up interim buildings the place obligatory.
It additional argued that any eligibility necessities, together with the controversial two-year membership rule for nationwide workplaces, have been lawfully waived by way of NEC resolutions earlier in 2025 to accommodate coalition preparations.
On the contentious conference, the Mark group insists it acted inside its rights, stressing that dissenting members violated occasion self-discipline by heading to courtroom with out exhausting inner dispute mechanisms — an offence it says warranted their expulsion.
The camp additionally factors to what it described as earlier recognition by the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee, INEC, in addition to profitable grassroots congresses as validation of its legitimacy.
Course of flawed, management unlawful — Gombe camp
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In sharp distinction, the Gombe-led faction has rejected your entire course of, describing it as unconstitutional and void.
The group insists that neither Mark nor his allies met the essential eligibility necessities for nationwide workplace, notably the obligatory two-year membership rule and ward-level registration.
It additional accused former Nationwide Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, of missing the powers to unilaterally hand over occasion management, a transfer it stated violated clear constitutional provisions on succession and emptiness filling.
In accordance with the camp, no legitimate modification or waiver of the occasion’s structure occurred.
It argued additional that such adjustments might solely be effected at a correctly convened Nationwide Conference with due discover and requisite majority.
Gombe’s loyalists keep that, as Deputy Nationwide Chairman, he routinely assumed management, following the vacuum, insisting that every one actions taken by the Mark faction remained null and void.
They’re counting on ongoing litigation, together with a go well with earlier than the Federal Excessive Courtroom and a Courtroom of Attraction order directing events to take care of the established order ante bellum, to claim their declare.
Kachikwu/Temitope bloc: Each side are illegitimate
Complicating issues additional is the third camp led by Kachikwu and backed by a coalition of state chairmen, which has rejected each the Mark and Gombe factions.
The group argues that neither camp emerged by way of a constitutionally recognised course of, accusing each of violating key provisions regarding membership eligibility and occasion administration.
In accordance with the bloc, the alleged caretaker preparations and congresses have been by no means ratified by a correctly constituted NEC, which, by the occasion’s guidelines, should embrace all state chairmen.
It additionally faulted what it described as an tried “switch” of occasion buildings with out due authorisation, insisting that solely a legitimate NEC or Conference might take such selections.
Positioning itself as a “rescue mission,” the faction says it’s working to revive inner democracy, uphold the rule of legislation and put together the occasion for credible participation within the 2027 elections.
The group has thrown its weight behind INEC’s de-recognition of disputed buildings and courtroom rulings restraining additional actions.
3 ADCs, one structure
With every camp brandishing totally different interpretations of the identical structure, the ADC now successfully operates as three parallel events, every with its personal management, buildings and narrative of legitimacy.
Political observers say the disaster displays deeper fault strains over management, ideology and the occasion’s function in rising opposition coalitions.
For Kachikwu, the stakes transcend inner supremacy.
“Males with abysmal information in public service now declare to be on a rescue mission. However it’s a mission to rescue their private economies,” he stated.
Unsure highway to 2027
Because the authorized tussle drags on and inner reconciliation efforts falter, issues are mounting over the occasion’s viability as a reputable opposition platform, forward of the subsequent basic polls.
With courtroom orders hanging, expulsions flying and conventions disputed, the ADC’s battle seems removed from over — a high-stakes contest the place, as one insider places it, “everybody needs the occasion, however nobody needs to lose.”
That’s the most important cause all eyes are on the Supreme Courtroom, which is able to take a look at the management tussle on Wednesday.