A fresh leadership crisis is rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after a faction led by high-profile defectors announced sweeping changes at the top, a move former presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu claims is aimed at handing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar a new platform for the 2027 presidential election.
According to Kachikwu, the controversial reshuffle, which saw Senator David Mark unveiled as interim national chair, is a “backdoor deal” to sideline the South and recycle old leadership. He described the development as a betrayal of the ADC’s founding principles of balance and fairness.
In his remarks, Kachikwu, flanked by seven state chairmen from Benue, Niger, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, and Jigawa States, declared: “Let them openly commit to zoning the next flag bearer to the South. If they do, I’ll welcome them through the front door. But we know they won’t because this is all for Atiku.”
9am News report confirms that Kachikwu revealed he had initially engaged the same coalition leaders, including ex-ministers and party veterans, but walked away when it became clear they wanted to field a northern candidate despite President Tinubu’s ongoing first term.
He said: “When I asked if they agreed the South should produce the next president, they said: ‘We are taking our power back.’ That was my red flag.”
Kachikwu argued that the sudden unveiling of Mark, along with ex-Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola as secretary and ex-Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi as publicity secretary, lacked legitimacy and vowed a legal showdown.
“Yes, court action is firmly on the table,” Kachikwu stated. He has demanded that INEC clarify who the lawful national chairman of the ADC is, warning that if a vacuum exists, the party’s state caucuses will convene a fresh national convention to elect new officers.
“Our state chairmen were elected at the 2022 convention with mandates till 2026, not appointed in some WhatsApp group,” he insisted.
He also criticised the electoral commission for enabling the confusion that allowed Ralph Nwosu’s faction to thrive for years.
“For three years, INEC looked the other way while parallel structures emerged. This time, they must clarify the real leadership or we reconvene immediately to restore order,” Kachikwu said.
However, not everyone in the party shares Kachikwu’s outrage. Plateau ADC chairperson, Mrs. Hanatu Gagara, defended the coalition, describing it as a historic realignment backed by years of planning and consultation.
“I have been with the ADC for 17 years. The coalition didn’t emerge overnight. Kachikwu has not been in touch. We, the state chairmen, were part of the talks right from the start,” Gagara countered.
She dismissed accusations of a hijack, saying the merger was necessary to transform the nation’s political future. “This is not just about power; it’s about fixing Nigeria’s deep pains under the current administration,” she said.
Backing her up, former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, argued that due process was followed in the coalition talks.
“The chairman of our board of trustees was there. Kachikwu might not be aware because he is out of touch,” Dalung remarked.
Meanwhile, Presidential Media Adviser, Sunday Dare, poured cold water on any parallels with the 2013 APC merger, branding the ADC coalition a self-serving grab for power.
In a post on X, Dare wrote: “There is no injustice to redress only ambition to satisfy. Unlike the APC in 2013, this move is opportunistic and lacks real political structure.”
As court threats loom, the ADC’s internal feud could reshape the opposition landscape ahead of 2027, setting the stage for yet another fierce political battle.
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