The leadership crisis engulfing the African Democratic Congress (ADC) intensified Friday as state chairmen of the party announced plans to take control of the opposition party’s national structure, citing the electoral commission’s recent decision to derecognise the Senator David Mark-led National Working Committee.
Temitope Ogga, Chairman of the ADC state chairmen and also the Kogi State Chairman of the party, disclosed the move in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, describing it as necessary to prevent a leadership vacuum and protect the party’s structure ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ogga said the National Executive Committee — comprising the state chairmen — will meet on Tuesday to select a Caretaker Committee that will steer the party’s affairs while legal disputes are resolved.
“After the NWC, we are the next highest decision-making organ of the party,” Ogga stated. “We are the NEC, all the state chairmen are members of the NEC, and it is the most powerful organ of the party.”
The crisis follows the Independent National Electoral Commission’s decision on Wednesday to remove the names of the ADC’s NWC — led by Mark — from its official portal, complying with a Court of Appeal order. INEC said it would maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of a substantive suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The ruling stems from a protracted leadership battle within the ADC, with rival factions led by Nafiu Bala Gombe and Senator David Mark both claiming authority over the party’s national structure.
Ogga insisted the state chairmen are legally positioned to assume leadership. “Now that the court has said that it does not recognise the NWC as the party authority, they did not disband the state chairmen and their executives, so we are the next in line to take over the party, according to the party’s constitution.”
He added that the party would formally notify INEC of the transition. “The committee will be in acting capacity, and we are going to write INEC to inform them of this new development. We will submit the names of the members of the committee to INEC after our meeting on Tuesday.”