The leadership dispute within the African Democratic Congress intensified on Tuesday as a faction headed by the party’s National Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to delist Senator David Mark and members of his National Working Committee from the commission’s official portal.
The Gombe-led faction maintained that a court judgment had stripped the David Mark-led NWC of legal recognition and nullified all actions and decisions taken by the committee. Based on the ruling, the group urged INEC to recognise only the leadership it described as the party’s legitimate National Working Committee under Gombe.
In the same statement, the faction also issued a seven-day ultimatum to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, demanding that he stop portraying himself as the ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. It further called on him to publicly apologise to party members and stakeholders over what it described as unauthorised statements made on behalf of the party.
“INEC is further requested to upload and recognise only the authentic members of the National Working Committee of the ADC, in strict compliance with the judgment of the Court. The said judgment directed INEC to withdraw recognition from the David Mark-led NWC and further invalidates all decisions, resolutions, and actions taken by that Committee.
“In addition, the leadership of the African Democratic Congress hereby issues a formal and final warning to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to desist, with immediate effect, from parading himself as the Presidential Candidate of the ADC. We reiterate our earlier position that His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is not and has never been the Presidential Candidate of the ADC for the 2027 General Elections.
“We urge Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to refrain forthwith from using the Party’s name, logo, and emblem in spreading falsehoods and misinformation about the African Democratic Congress.
“We also give him a seven-day ultimatum to come out and tender a public apology to the members and stakeholders of the ADC for making unauthorized statements on behalf of the Party. Failure to comply with the above demand within the stipulated period, we shall seek appropriate legal redress.
“We urge the relevant security agencies to cause his immediate arrest and prosecution for the dissemination of false information capable of misleading the public and inciting public disturbance, thereby threatening the relative peace we currently enjoy.”
