ADC Will Go Ahead With Congresses, Convention – Ex party chairman, Nwosu

A former National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralph Nwosu, has said the party will not be distracted by its ongoing leadership crisis and will proceed with its planned congresses and national convention.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Nwosu emphasized that the party remains focused on its preparations for the 2027 general elections.

According to him, the ADC is already taking steps to address the dispute through legal and institutional channels but will not allow the situation to stall its activities.

“We are taking the necessary action both in court and with INEC, but we will not allow INEC to derail any of our programmes. After that malicious INEC release, our chairman and the rest of us sat together and decided to move ahead,” he said.

He stressed that the party had followed due process in notifying the electoral body of its schedule.

“We submitted our programme to INEC according to the law, and they endorsed it—all the dates were endorsed. By the electoral law, whether they show up or not is their own volition; we have not violated anything,” Nwosu added.

Despite the crisis, party activities are already underway. He confirmed that congresses have begun and the national convention will proceed as planned.

“The congresses have already started. Our national convention, slated for the 14th, will also go on, where we will validate everything we’ve done. We don’t want opportunists in the ADC; we want mission-driven leaders who have the courage to challenge a bad system,” he said.

Nwosu also noted that the party would continue to formally notify INEC of its programmes, including its convention for selecting candidates.

“If they don’t accept it, we will publish it to all Nigerian media because they represent the people,” he stated.

The remarks come after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced it would not recognise either of the rival leadership factions within the ADC—one led by David Mark and the other by Nafiu Bala—pending a final court ruling.

INEC said it would maintain the status quo before the legal dispute began and has already removed Mark’s name from its official portal.

The crisis traces back to Nwosu’s resignation as chairman of the party’s National Working Committee in July 2025. His exit paved the way for a new leadership under Mark, especially after an opposition coalition adopted the ADC as its platform for the upcoming elections.

However, Bala, a former vice national chairman, challenged this transition, insisting he should have automatically assumed leadership. He subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop the Mark-led faction from acting as party leaders.

The case has since moved through the courts, with the Court of Appeal recently dismissing an appeal filed by Mark.

INEC’s position has drawn sharp criticism from the ADC. The party accused the commission of undermining democracy and called for the resignation of its chairman.

“We demand the immediate resignation or sack of the INEC Chairman and all National Commissioners. We are convinced they are incapable of conducting any credible election,” Mark said.

“The only conclusion Nigerians can draw is that the electoral umpire has taken sides and can no longer be trusted,” he added.

On Wednesday, prominent opposition figures—including Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, Aminu Tambuwal, and Rauf Aregbesola—joined ADC leaders in protesting at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja. They demanded a reversal of the commission’s decision and accused it of bias.

The group also alleged that President Bola Tinubu is attempting to steer Nigeria toward a one-party system, a claim both the presidency and INEC have denied.

Responding to the allegations, presidential spokesman Sunday Dare said all parties remain free to participate in elections.

“There is no design, whether covertly or overtly, to have just the APC on the ballot. We have 21 parties registered to compete on the ballot; every party has the right to field a candidate,” he said.