ADC crisis: INEC restores David Mark as party chair
• It’s long battle, but we are ready, says Abdullahi • Rep Abejide quits beleaguered party, cites internal crisis The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday restored its recognition of
• It's long battle, but we are ready, says Abdullahi
• Rep Abejide quits beleaguered party, cites internal crisis
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday restored its recognition of the David Mark-led National Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
This followed Thursday's pronouncement of the Supreme Court on the leadership crisis in the party.
The apex court had vacated the Court of Appeal 's order of March 12,2026 directing parties in the ADC leadership dispute to maintain the status quo ante bellum.
INEC, acting on the now quashed status quo ante bellum, withdrew recognition of the NWC on April 1.
Listed on INEC's official portal yesterday alongside Mark as ADC NWC members are : Rauf Aregbesola -National Secretary; Mani Ahmad -National Treasurer; Akibu Dalhatu - National Financial Secretary; and Oserheimen Osunbor -National Legal Adviser.
The Supreme Court said on Thursday that the suit challenging the legality of the Mark NWC should return to the Federal High Court for proper trial.
We're ready for long battle over ADC crisis,says Abdullahi
The party's national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi , acknowledged yesterday that the leadership crisis facing the party might drag on for a long time.
But he said the NWC was ready to go all the way and pursue all lawful avenues to ensure a fair hearing.
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“We are cautious that this is going to be a long war, but we are ready for it, and we have demonstrated that we are capable of fighting this war, and that is what has led us to this point,” Abdullahi said on Channels Television's The Morning Brief.
He was responding to questions on the Thursday judgement.
He added: “When you are fighting a war, you can celebrate a battle. When you win a battle, you celebrate it well; that does not mean that the war is over.
“This particular battle, yesterday (Thursday) we won that, and we are not going to allow anybody to minimise the significance of what we have achieved. We want our members to enjoy that victory of that particular battle, but the war is still on, and we are not going to lose focus that it is a marathon, so we are going to keep fighting.
“Anyone who sat through the proceedings and listened to the justices' submissions would acknowledge the thoroughness of their work.
“In the case that let's go back to the high court, we are very confident that we have a very clear case, and the issue is about leadership. It is very clear and established that everything that has to do with the leadership of a political party is not justiciable.”
Abdullahi expressed the party's confidence in the country's legal system, stressing: “Where we find that we have been treated unfairly in accordance with the law, we are going to explore opportunities to seek redress, and we will continue to do so like we have in this case up to the highest court of the land. That is why the laws are there.
“If in court a judge rules against us and we are not happy, we go to the next level until God says it is okay because after the Supreme Court, there is no next level.”
Rep Abejide exits ADC, cites internal crisis, legal battle
The House of Representatives member from Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopamuro in Kogi State Leke Abejide, yesterday pulled out of the ADC,citing internal crises, legal disputes, leadership uncertainty, and alleged sustained attempt to frustrate his political ambition within the party.
Abejide ,who has been fiercely against the takeover of the ADC by the David Mark group,said he would be moving to another political party to pursue his political ambition.
He was silent on his destination.
“It is a painful decision but necessary to save my political future from those who came to destroy my former political party that I laboured hard to nurture and love dearly,” he told journalists in Abuja.
He said: “It is good to lay the foundation of what necessitated the decision I took few weeks ago so that the general public will be aware and know what actually transpired.”
The lawmaker recalled how he initiated a legal action last year against Senator David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Chief Ralph Nwosu and ADC in court.
He said: “It was during the court's long vacation that my Lawyers approached the court and sought the court's approval to listen to the case, so as to get justice within a reasonable time frame as the electoral activities leading to primary elections were coming closer.”
He stated that the court granted an accelerated hearing.
“The judge obliged and granted us accelerated hearing in order to determine the case so that each party to the case could go ahead either with ADC or find another platform to achieve his or her political ambition.”
However, he accused the defendants of deliberately frustrating the case.
“The defendants who are David Mark and others kept sending different people to join my case as a way to delay the matter from being adjudicated upon by the judge up to the time Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rolled out Timetable for political activities, for primary elections and general elections in 2027.”
He said the delay influenced legal advice he received.
“Due to long adjournment, occasioned by the opposing counsel tactics to frustrate the speedy hearing of my suit, my counsel then advised I should be looking for an alternative party to pursue my political ambition.”
Abejide further stated that leadership challenges within the party deepened the crisis.
“Confronted by the frustration aforesaid that characterized the proceeding before the Federal High Court, my counsel further advised me that since ADC is leaderless and with the implication of not having validly elected National Chairman and National Secretary respectively to sign my nomination form which is mandatory by law before one can become a valid candidate, I should seek an alternative platform to pursue my political ambition," he said.
He alleged a deliberate attempt to undermine his political trajectory within the party.
He said, “It was then the mission of ADC Coalition was clear to me that their intention was not to grow the party, but to ensure people like me who have been contesting on the platform of African Democratic Congress since 2019, without defecting to any political party and had been winning when ADC was relatively unknown and do not have a political platform, to achieve my political ambition but they have failed, I have since moved on.”
He said he has “strenuously discussed, consulted and dialogued with my political leaders, constituency supporters and people that enjoy my vision and missions that are in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, The President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces Federal Republic of Nigeria and I am ready to continue my support for this Progressive Club.”
Going biblical,he said:“I have prayed earnestly on this and the leading of the Holy Bible provides the leading light in the Book of Isaiah 9:10 'The bricks are fallen down but we will build with hewn stones. The sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars'.
“I have decided to change the bricks that are fallen down in ADC to hewn stones in a better political party to have a good structure that will benefit my people and equally to change my sycamore tree in ADC to a strong enduring cedar of political certainty," he said.
