The leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deepened on Tuesday, August 5, as the party’s state chairmen decried what they described as a political coup staged by a coalition led by former Senate President David Mark.
In a statement titled “Rejecting the Political Junta by Defending ADC and Nigeria’s Democracy Against Subversion,” the chairmen, led by Forum Leader Elias Adokwu and Publicity Secretary Godwin Alaku, condemned the move as a “blatant and reckless subversion” of the ADC and Nigeria’s democracy.
“We unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms this desperate power grab, which represents not only an aberration of democratic norms but also a grave assault on our collective political values as a nation,” the statement read.
The chairmen alleged that the group was attempting to hijack the party through unconstitutional means, accusing them of “manipulation and backdoor dealings.”
They insisted the plot was not about political realignment but a thinly veiled attempt at imposing a “civilian junta” on the party.
They described it as “an insult to all those who believe in and have laboured for democratic governance in Nigeria.”
The forum claimed the coalition was more interested in personal ambition and inducement than party reform.
Reaffirming their commitment to the party’s founding values, the chairmen stated that the ADC would continue to uphold “democratic principles, the rule of law, ideological clarity, and peaceful political engagement.”
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“The ADC is not for sale, not for hijack, and certainly not a dumping ground for discredited power brokers,” they said.
The chairmen challenged the coalition’s political relevance and urged them to prove their value at the polls rather than attempting a hostile takeover.
They also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to resist efforts to legitimise what they called an “illegitimate junta,” urging civil society and Nigerians to reject creeping authoritarianism and urging security agencies to probe the attempted destabilisation of the party.
“We, the legitimate custodians of the ADC structure across all states of the federation, reject this illegitimate junta,” the statement read.
“We consider it our patriotic duty to defend the soul of the ADC and protect the sanctity of democratic structures in Nigeria,” it added.
Reacting, the ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed the accusations.
“How long shall we continue to respond to non-existent issues? Who are the members of this Forum of State Party Chairmen?” he asked.
“Look, Nigerians should not allow themselves to be distracted from the real issues that face us as a people.
“Let us not waste our time on a gathering of a few people who are seeing that there is money to pick us from what they are doing. There is no issue that we have to respond to,” Abdullahi added.