The Nafiu Bala faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that David Mark, a former senate president, is not a legitimate member of the party.
In a statement issued on Friday, Aminu Alhassan, special assistant on public affairs to Bala, described the formation of a new national working committee (NWC) led by Mark as a “clear violation” of the party’s constitution.
In July, some opposition politicians and ADC leaders adopted the party as the coalition platform for the 2027 elections.
The coalition includes former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar; Mark; Uche Secondus, ex-PDP national chairman; Nasir el-Rufai – former Kaduna governor; Peter Obi – 2023 LP presidential candidate; Rauf Aregbesola, former interior minister; Rotimi Amaechi, ex-transport minister; and Bolaji Abdullahi, former senatorial candidate.
On July 2, Ralph Nwosu, ADC’s founder and former national chairman, announced the resignation of the NWC and endorsed an interim leadership headed by Mark. The coalition members have since written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking recognition for the Mark-led NWC.
But Alhassan stressed that “only bonafide members of the party can aspire to leadership positions,” noting that the ADC constitution is explicit in this regard. He insisted that there is no legal or constitutional provision allowing anyone to assume leadership without meeting the membership and democratic criteria.
He added that Mark and his team do not represent the ADC, describing their actions as a “blatant disregard for the democratic principles the party upholds.”
