ABUJA — A new leadership crisis has hit the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as Nafi’u Bala, a former governorship candidate in Gombe State and ex-deputy national chairman of the party, has declared himself the interim national chairman.
Bala made this announcement at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday night. He strongly criticized the current leadership under former Senate President David Mark, calling it an illegal takeover of the party.
According to Bala, the group led by Mark violated the party’s constitution and ignored the voices of loyal members.
“This is a shameful political takeover by people who are not even part of our party,” Bala said. “The leadership has been handed over to outsiders with no connection to ADC, and we will not let that stand.”
Background of the Crisis
The controversy started after Ralph Nwosu, the founder and former national chairman of the ADC, dissolved the party’s national leadership on July 2 and named David Mark as the head of a new interim leadership.
This move came after several big political names — such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, Uche Secondus, and others — agreed to use the ADC as their united platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.
But Bala has rejected this arrangement. He called it a “political drama” and accused the party’s leadership of betraying the original members.
“You cannot just hand over power to political strangers. Only those elected by the party have the right to lead,” Bala argued.
Bala’s Claims and Demands
Bala insisted that the ADC has rules for leadership transition, and that following those rules, he is now the rightful interim national chairman.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially recognize him as the party’s chairman.
“If the David Mark group continues to ignore the party’s constitution, we will go to court,” Bala warned.
He promised a legal battle to reverse what he described as an “act of impunity” and protect the rights of genuine ADC members.
