ADC crisis deepens as Kachikwu faction installs Temitope, backs INEC, d

Nigeria’s opposition politics lurched deeper into uncertainty on Tuesday as a fresh faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), loyal to its 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, named Kingsley Temitope as interim national chairman and endorsed the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to withdraw recognition from rival party leaders, escalating a leadership crisis that now threatens the party’s survival ahead of the 2027 elections.

 

At a press briefing in Abuja, the new bloc comprising several state chairmen declared its full support for INEC’s action against the David Mark-led executive, citing compliance with an Appeal Court ruling. The group also rejected the legitimacy of another faction led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, insisting neither camp emerged through credible constitutional processes.

“We hereby disassociate ourselves from David Mark and his exco… We also distance ourselves from the Nafiu Bala Gombe group,” the faction said in a communique read by its publicity secretary, Obinna Don Norman, after a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at Kachikwu’s Abuja office.

The faction argued that Mark and his team lacked the constitutional requirement of two years’ membership to lead the party, adding that planned congresses were not ratified by the NEC and therefore invalid. It said its intervention was aimed at preserving the party’s legal standing with INEC and ensuring participation in future elections.

Read also: Tecno bets on AI and imaging to capture Nigeria’s mid-premium smartphone market

Describing its move as a “rescue mission,” the group warned that internal wrangling could cost the ADC a place on the ballot if left unresolved. It unveiled a new leadership structure drawn from 25 states, with Temitope as interim chairman, alongside other national officers.

But the Mark-led camp swiftly dismissed the development as opportunistic. Its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the courts, not splinter groups, would ultimately determine the party’s leadership.

“They are being opportunistic… In the end, it is the court that will decide,” Abdullahi said, questioning the legitimacy and representation of the new faction.

Similarly, Queen Okiyi, deputy publicity secretary of the Mark faction, accused members of the new bloc of acting for personal gain, alleging they had been compromised and previously sanctioned for misconduct.

“They’ve been bought over… We cannot tolerate indiscipline,” she said, insisting the party’s constitution remains binding on all members.

The widening crisis has drawn reactions beyond the ADC. In Lagos, the All Progressives Congress (APC) said Nigeria’s democracy would not collapse if opposition parties like the ADC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed to meet electoral requirements and were excluded from the ballot.

“Compliance is not optional… Heavens will not fall if the ADC or any party fails to appear on the ballot,” APC spokesman Seye Oladejo said, attributing the turmoil to internal disarray within opposition ranks rather than external interference.

However, concerns about the broader implications for Nigeria’s democracy are mounting. Speaking in Lagos, Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, warned that weakening opposition parties through legal and political maneuvers could push the country toward authoritarianism.

“A democracy without opposition is becoming a dictatorship,” Adams said, urging the judiciary to guard against rulings that could undermine political plurality.

He cautioned that the growing perception among opposition groups that courts may not deliver justice could erode public confidence and destabilize the political system ahead of the 2027 general elections.

With three factions now laying claim to its leadership, the ADC faces a defining moment, one that could determine whether it remains a viable political force or fades under the weight of internal conflict.