A fresh leadership crisis has broken out in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as former Gombe State governorship candidate, Honourable Nafiu Bala, has declared himself the party’s interim national chairman.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Bala accused top officials of handing over the party’s structure to external political actors who, according to him, have no ties to the ADC.
“I have taken this step in line with my constitutional duty as the duly elected National Deputy Chairman,” he said. “There’s a leadership vacuum and a clear breach of our party’s constitution. I now assume my responsibility as interim national chairman.”
Bala said what is happening in the ADC is nothing short of sabotage.
“We’re witnessing a dangerous hijack of our party by people who were never part of us,” he said. “They’ve turned the party into a marketplace of political transactions, ignoring every laid-down process.”
He described recent moves by certain unnamed leaders as “a show of shame” and “a scripted attempt to hand over our platform to outsiders.”
“This party was not created for political jobbers or hired actors. Those behind this betrayal are selling out the future of the ADC,” he added.
Bala appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately take note of the leadership change and act in line with the party’s constitution.
“I call on INEC to recognise this development and resist any attempt to legitimise what is clearly unconstitutional,” he said.
According to him, some ADC leaders have stepped aside from their responsibilities and illegally handed authority to persons who neither contested elections within the party nor qualified under its rules.
“This is not just unlawful, it’s unacceptable,” Bala said. “You cannot impose strangers on us and expect silence.”
Bala warned that if those involved failed to step back and restore internal order, he and other party faithful would not hesitate to go to court.
“If they remain stubborn, we’ll meet in court. Enough of the lawlessness,” he said. “We will defend our constitution and bring anyone involved in this plot to account.”
He maintained that the ADC constitution provides clear succession rules, and any deviation from it amounts to illegality.
“Our constitution doesn’t leave room for confusion. It spells out how vacancies should be filled and what happens during leadership crises,” he added.
The crisis comes just as parties begin early preparations ahead of the next general elections. Political analysts say the fallout could affect the ADC’s structure in several states if not resolved quickly.
Bala insists his move is not personal, but about protecting the integrity of the ADC.
“This is not a power grab. This is about restoring order and preventing a total collapse of the party,” he said.
