ADC crisis deepens as Kachikwu faction backs INEC, disowns Mark, Gombe

By Soni Daniel, Abuja

The crisis rocking the embattled African Democratic Congress took a new turn on Monday, as the faction loyal to its 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, openly threw its weight behind the de-recognition of the David Mark-led party leadership.

At a press conference in Abuja, the group said it was in total support of the decision of the electoral body to withdraw its recognition of David Mark and its exco in compliance with the decision of the Appeal Court.

The faction also disowned the party’s factional leader, Nafiu Bala Gombe, saying he did not emerge through any known or credible process to lead the party.

The faction, made up of some state chairmen of the ADC, accused the former national chairman of the party, Ralph Nwosu, of trying to transfer the party to non-members led by David Mark, and lauded INEC for quickly distancing itself from the Mark-led group.

“We hereby disassociate ourselves from David Mark and his Exco and all the actions taken by him which are not binding on us. We also distance ourselves from the Nafiu Bala Gombe group and all the actions purportedly taken by him,” the group led by Kogi State chairman, Temitope, said.

The group claimed that it took all the crucial decisions at a National Executive Committee meeting, which took place at the office of the former presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu in Abuja on Tuesday and produced a communique read by its publicity secretary, Mr. Obinna Don Norman.

In the communique, the group said that David Mark and his exco were never members of the ADC, having not been members for up to 2 years as stipulated in the party’s constitution.

Norman said that the congresses, which the party had slated for today, were never ratified by the NEC and therefore not recognized by it.

Answering reporters’ questions, Norman defended the emergence of the new NEC members, saying that their formation was driven by the need to preserve structures to liaise with INEC and lay the groundwork for the next election.

He said that the NEC remains the only legal structure of the party to deal with INEC and other institutions in Nigeria since both David Mark and Balam Gombe have lost their legitimacy to lead the party at a crucial point in time.

“We are on a rescue mission to save the ADC from being denied the opportunity to take part in the next general election. As soon as the legal tussle is cleared and the party returns to normalcy, the NEC will stand down and allow the new exco to do its job.

Challenged by a reporter that they were being sponsored by the APC to destabilise the ADC, the spokesman denied any relationship with the APC and denied any benefit from the APC.

“I have never met or seen the President. The last time I saw him was when he was the governor of Lagos and I was a reporter by that time,” Norman responded to the reporter, who asked the question.

“We are simply trying to ensure that the ADC is not made to lose its strong position in the political system in Nigeria through the attempt by non-members to hijack it for their own interest,” he added.

Apart from presenting names of members drawn from 25 state chapters of the party as new leaders, the ADC also presented the names of Ogga Temitope Kingsley from Kogi as its interim National chairman, Odion Kennedy from Edo State as Secretary, Muhammad Khala Jidda from Borno State as deputy chairman, Kabiru Hussaini from Jigawa as Assistant Secretary, Dr. Charles Idowu Omidji from Osun State as National Organising Secretary,  Johnny Tovi Derek from Baylesa State as Deputy Organising Secretary, Stella Chukwuma from Enugu State as Treasurer and Obinna Don Norman from Abia State as its publicity secretary.