ADC leadership renegade negotiation sparks internal crises, says Abbo reveals

Ishaku Abbo, former senator, has linked the root causes of the ongoing crisis engulfing his party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), between David Mark and Nafiu Bala, to a breach of agreement.

Abbo explained that at the heart of the dispute is Nafiu Bala, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, who was present at the Yar’Adua Centre when the current leadership, headed by Senator David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, assumed office.

He stated that the crisis started after Bala and the entire National Working Committee (NWC) resigned to pave the way for a new leadership structure.

According to him, the transition was allegedly based on an agreement between the party and incoming stakeholders to allocate key positions across geopolitical zones to promote inclusiveness.

Abbo further mentioned that, under this arrangement, Bala, from Gombe State in the North-East, was to be appointed National Vice Chairman (North-East), a role considered subordinate to his previous position. Despite this, he accepted the terms to maintain party unity.

However, tensions surfaced during the formation of the new NWC when the leadership supposedly failed to honour the agreement. Instead of Bala, the position was awarded to Babachir David Lawal.

He claimed that this decision, reportedly, caused dissatisfaction among Bala’s supporters, who viewed it as a breach of trust.

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He said, “Sources within the party suggest that Bala rejected an alternative offer of a lesser role and subsequently became increasingly critical of the leadership. The situation has since escalated, with allegations of political manoeuvring and external interference.”

“There are also claims that influential political figures, including a serving governor and a former minister, may have played roles behind the scenes by supporting legal actions and influencing regulatory pressure on the party.”

While these claims remain unverified, they have contributed to the growing tension within the ADC.

He observes that the dispute highlights broader issues of internal democracy, fairness, and adherence to agreements within political parties. He emphasised that the North-East region, which currently holds several high-ranking national offices, was considered well represented, making the dispute over Bala’s exclusion more contentious.

Abbo also cautioned that the crisis could weaken the party’s unity ahead of upcoming political activities, particularly at the state level, including in Adamawa.

He mentioned that further developments are anticipated as stakeholders continue to express concerns over the handling of the situation and the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in recent actions affecting the party.