- Former Chairman, Nwosu explains choice of Mark, Aregbesola as ADC’s leaders
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has refuted social media reports claiming a change in its leadership structure, describing the same as fabricated misinformation.
This is as the ADC’s pioneer National chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu explained that inclusiveness among other factors was the indices supported the emergence of Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as leaders of the party.
Accordingly, the opposition coalition has urged Nigerians to disregard the claims, saying: “Please note that reports circulating about a change in the leadership of the ADC are #FakeNews.
In a post on his X handle on Sunday, ADC spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, said: “Please disregard, flag, and report such content on any social media platform where you encounter it”.
Abdullahi’s statement comes on the heels of an online report claiming that Senator David Mark had stepped aside as National Chairman amid ongoing leadership disputes as well as pressure over the party’s structure.
Also citing recent comments by the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), the report further suggested that former party chairman, Ralph Nwosu, would take over to steer the ADC toward its national convention and stabilise the party ahead of future elections.
Meanwhile, offering insight on the current crisis, which flows from his resignation and handing over to Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and National Secretary respectively, Chief Nwosu said in a recent interview that the Party’s one time National Vice Chairman, Nafiu Bala was either impatient or has simply allowed himself to be used by the Presidency to destabilize the ADC.
He explained that during the meetings preceding the official handing over, the ADC understood the need to allow other political parties have proper representations in the coalition for it to work .
According to Nwosu, it was resolved that the original ADC would retain the positions of National Treasurer , National Welfare Secretary , Deputy National Secretary and two deputy chairmen as well as Whip, adding that while Senator Mark represents the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aregbesola represents the All Progressives Congress ( APC) and Labour Party (LP) has the National Organizing Secretary post.
Chief Nwosu said: ” In the current NWC of the ADC coalition we have the National Treasurer representing the ADC, the National Welfare Secretary is ADC, the Deputy National Secretary is ADC and two Deputy National Chairmen. We have the Chief Whip of the party and because it was a coalition we didn’t bother ourselves about who is National Chairman and National Secretary because other political parties also had to be given positions.
“More so, that the PDP ,APC and Labour were bigger, therefore we offered the PDP National chairmanship, the APC got the secretaryship while the National Organizing Secretary went to the Labour Party.”
“You cannot build a coalition and fail to consider the interest of others, you can only do that by working together and that is exactly what we are doing in the coalition”, the erstwhile Party Chairman volunteered
Reflecting on the issues further, Chief Nwosu said: “What Nafiu Bala, from all indications, felt was that he thought he was going to be among the few that would be retained but we built a large poll of committees that are better than party offices but maybe the pressure from the presidency is what is pushing him.”
Only last week, INEC had removed the names of ADC National Working Committee (NWC) led by David Mark from its official portal, citing a Court of Appeal order, even as it pledged to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of a substantive suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
With the current leadership crisis rocking the ADC, where rival factions led by David Mark and Nafiu Gombe are laying claim to the party’s national structure, INEC claimed the appellate court’s ruling of March 12, 2026, directed all parties to maintain the existing situation before the dispute arose and refrain from actions that could prejudice the outcome of the case.
But amidst the controversy, the Mark-led NWC, while demanding that the Electoral commission be dissolved, vowed to proceed with dates fixed for its internal processes. The congresses are scheduled to hold from April 9 to 12, in preparation for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Convention scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
