The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is embroiled in a deepening crisis following the dramatic takeover of its leadership by a coalition of high-profile defectors — a move former presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, claims is part of a plan to present former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.
Kachikwu, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the ADC, made the allegation during a press briefing in Abuja, where he appeared alongside seven state chairmen from Benue, Niger, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, and Jigawa States, as well as the party’s former national spokesman.
He denounced the unveiling of former Senate President, David Mark, as the party’s interim national chairman, a move that followed the sudden resignation of Ralph Nwosu, the party’s long-time national chairman. Also announced as members of the new interim leadership were former ministers Rauf Aregbesola (Interior) and Bolaji Abdullahi (Sports), as national secretary and publicity secretary, respectively.
Kachikwu insisted that the new coalition was formed with the sole aim of creating a new platform for Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 ambition.
“Let them declare that the next flag bearer will come from the South,” he challenged. “They won’t, because this coalition is designed for Atiku. That’s a betrayal of equity.”
He revealed that he had held initial talks with members of the coalition, but pulled out when it became clear the group had no intention of backing a southern candidate in the next election.
“I asked a simple question — do you agree that since Tinubu is serving his first term, the South should produce the next flag bearer? Their response was, ‘We are taking our power back.’ That was the red flag,” he said.
Kachikwu also dismissed the legitimacy of the new leadership, alleging that David Mark received his ADC membership card at the very event where he was announced as interim chairman — a development he described as a “hijack” and not a merger.
Kachikwu confirmed that his camp was considering legal action, and has already begun the process of petitioning the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clarify the current status of the party’s leadership.
“We are asking INEC: is there a chairman in this party or not? If not, we will convene a national convention to elect new officers,” he said.
He emphasized that the state chairmen in his camp were duly elected at the party’s April 2022 convention with valid mandates until April 2026.
“These chairmen were not appointed on WhatsApp or Facebook. They were elected by the people,” he declared.
Kachikwu also criticized INEC for previously allowing former chairman Ralph Nwosu to run parallel structures within the party, creating confusion that continues to affect the ADC.
But the takeover has received support from other quarters of the ADC. Plateau State Chairperson, Mrs. Hanatu Gagara, lauded the coalition as a “historic” move, and praised Ralph Nwosu for his long-standing dedication to the party over the past two decades.
“Until recently, he was the only one funding and caring for the party. Seeing many people join the fold is something I’m genuinely happy about,” she said.
Gagara also dismissed Kachikwu’s criticisms, claiming he had been absent from party affairs since the 2023 election and was not a current party member.
“We, the state chairmen, were involved in the coalition talks from the beginning — that’s a fact,” she said.
Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, also weighed in, insisting due process was followed.
“This coalition took 18 months of negotiations. The party’s Board of Trustees chairman was present during the leadership transition. This is no hijack,” Dalung said.
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