Gombe faction warns ADC aspirants against buying forms from rival Mark camp
The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deepened on Thursday as the Nafiu Bala Gombe-led faction ordered aspirants seeking elective office on the party’s platform to stop buying
The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deepened on Thursday as the Nafiu Bala Gombe-led faction ordered aspirants seeking elective office on the party’s platform to stop buying nomination forms from the rival group headed by David Mark.
The development came amid unconfirmed reports that a presidential aspirant aligned with the Mark-led faction was unable to obtain nomination forms on Thursday, as scheduled, under unclear circumstances.
In a communiqué issued after a meeting of its Board of Trustees in Abuja, the Gombe-led faction directed all party members and stakeholders to immediately suspend the sale and purchase of expression-of-interest and nomination forms pending the determination of the matter before the Federal High Court.
The communiqué, signed by Rufus Akanmi, Secretary of the faction's Board of Trustees, warned aspirants against proceeding with the process.
“It is expressly stated that any person who proceeds to purchase the said forms does so at their own risk, and the African Democratic Congress shall not accept any liability or responsibility for consequences arising therefrom,” the statement said.
The faction, however, extended what it described as an “unequivocal invitation” to members of the coalition and the Mark-led group to work with the leadership of Nafiu Bala Gombe in the interests of party unity and participation in future elections.
“This unity is imperative to guarantee the African Democratic Congress’s full participation in the forthcoming general elections and to ensure the nomination and sponsorship of credible candidates for all elective positions,” the communiqué stated.
The faction also announced plans to proceed with preparations for a mini national convention and directed the National Working Committee to constitute caretaker committees in states where the tenure of existing executives had expired.
According to the communiqué, the planned convention would fill vacancies created by the resignation of some members of the National Working Committee in line with the party’s constitution.
The Board of Trustees further commended the Supreme Court judgment delivered on April 30, 2026, describing it as “a landmark contribution to the consolidation of constitutional democracy and the rule of law within the Nigerian political system.”
The Gombe-led faction insisted that under its leadership, the ADC remains committed to “equity, fairness, transparency, and justice for all members of the party, without bias or discrimination.”
