‘They’ve been bought over’ — Mark-led ADC blasts rival camp as crisis deepens

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — The crisis tearing through the African Democratic Congress (ADC) escalated on Tuesday, with rival factions openly confronting one another over who truly controls the party, deepening uncertainty after the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) recent intervention.

The latest standoff is a fierce struggle for legitimacy, triggered after a rival group appeared live on national television, claiming it had convened a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and backed INEC’s decision to suspend relations with the ADC, an assertion the opposing camp has dismissed as baseless.

Speaking to Vanguard in response to those claims, Queen Okiyi, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the David Mark-led camp of the ADC, said the group lacked the authority to act on behalf of the party and accused its members of pursuing personal interests.

“They’ve been bought over. They are state chairmen whose conduct has been questioned, and who believe they can hold the party to ransom by going wherever they are paid. The ADC is a party built on discipline,” she said.

Okiyi added that the party would not tolerate actions that undermine its structure, stressing that loyalty to its rules is non-negotiable.

“We cannot tolerate indiscipline. If you belong to a group, you must abide by its constitution. You cannot remain a member and then choose to act in defiance of its rules,” she said.

Okiyi also pointed to what she described as past misconduct by members of the rival camp, linking the current stance to earlier disciplinary measures taken by the Mark-led party structure.

“Some of them went as far as selling party property and collecting money from individuals. When the party suspended them, they refused to accept it.

“They have continued to parade themselves as chairmen and are clearly unhappy about the actions taken against them,” she said.

According to her, their latest move reflects influence from within the party’s past ranks.

“As a result, they have now been compromised by a former presidential candidate of the party,” she added.

The rival group had earlier insisted it held a valid NEC meeting and expressed support for INEC’s position, moves that have further widened the cracks within the ADC and intensified the battle over who speaks for the party.