By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is currently dealing with internal divisions, as several state chairmen are at odds over the legitimacy of a coalition led by former Senate President, Senator David Mark.

The disagreement has exposed growing tensions within the party, particularly around its leadership structure and future direction.

The conflict came to public attention during a press briefing in Abuja, where the ‘Concerned State Chairmen of the ADC,’ represented by Elias Adokwu (Benue) and Godwin Alaku (Nasarawa), voiced their opposition to what they described as an unlawful takeover of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) by the coalition led by Senator Mark.

They claimed the move was both “illegal and unconstitutional,” and alleged it was done without proper consultation or adherence to party rules.

“This clandestine and unconstitutional hijack of our party, orchestrated through manipulation and backdoor dealings, represents not only a desperate power grab but also an aberration of democratic norms and a grave assault on our collective political values as a nation,” they stated.

However, not all party chapters agree with this stance. The Kogi State Chapter of the ADC has clearly distanced itself from the position of the Concerned State Chairmen.

In a phone conversation with Vanguard, Hon. Felix Akinyemi, the Kogi State Chairman, confirmed his full backing for the coalition.

“Some people might not be on board with the coalition, but I am. I fully support the David Mark-led NWC, and so does Kogi State,” Akinyemi said.

The Concerned State Chairmen are now calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise what they see as an unauthorised attempt to alter the leadership of the party.

They stressed the importance of respecting due process and internal democracy within political organisations.

“We must make it abundantly clear: this is not a realignment of political ideology, nor is it an internal resolution of party differences. Rather, it is a blatant and reckless subversion of the ADC platform by a group attempting to seize control outside the bounds of legal and democratic process.

“If the coalition led by Senator David Mark and their agents are determined to pursue their ambitions, they are advised to create their own party or look elsewhere. The ADC is not for sale, not for hijack, and certainly not a dumping ground for discredited power brokers.

“We, the legitimate custodians of the ADC structure across all states of the federation, reject this illegitimate junta. We consider it our patriotic duty to defend the soul of the ADC and protect the sanctity of democratic structures in Nigeria,” they stated.