- Dumebi Kachikwu, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), claimed former Senate President David Mark and his allies hijacked the party by replacing existing executives with loyalists.
- An Abuja Federal High Court recently barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing congresses organized by the Mark-led faction.
- Kachikwu alleged the faction used ad hoc committees to bypass the party’s constitution, which vests the power to conduct congresses in state chairmen.
- David Mark stated through the party’s publicity secretary that the ADC will remain on the ballot for the 2027 elections and noted that his legal team is appealing the court’s judgment.
The leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) intensified on Thursday as Dumebi Kachikwu accused former Senate President David Mark of orchestrating an illegal takeover of the party’s administrative structure.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Kachikwu alleged that the Mark-led faction marginalized original party members and state executives to install preferred officials.
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Kachikwu argued that the factions violated the ADC constitution, which dictates that state chairmen must midwife congresses and conventions.
He claimed that ad hoc committees were used to push out “commoners” in favor of individuals the faction deemed more suitable for their social class. “I’ve had people calling me from all the states… they took over our party structure,” Kachikwu stated, highlighting widespread internal dissatisfaction.
The allegations follow a Federal High Court ruling that nullified congresses organized by the Mark faction, with the presiding judge reportedly describing the proceedings as a “kangaroo convention”.
Kachikwu also claimed the faction’s legal representation misled the court regarding whether a convention was actually taking place.
In response, David Mark assured supporters that the party would overcome these legal hurdles.
His team has applied for a stay of execution on the recent judgment, maintaining that the leadership dispute is an internal party matter.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is expected to deliver a judgment today regarding an appeal filed by Mark against a previous status quo order.
Kingsley Oggah, chairman of the ADC state chairmen, described the court’s intervention as a necessary “blessing” to prevent the party’s destruction by selfish interests.
The internal turmoil comes at a critical time, as party faithful express concern over INEC’s threat to deregister parties that fail to perform in elections.
Kachikwu remains defiant, asserting that “the ADC is not for sale” and urging members to remain vigilant against further attempts at a “hijack”.
