Amid Litigation, Internal Dispute, Mark-led ADC Holds Convention

| Party chair, Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso, Aregbesola, others say Tinubu has failed

| Convention ratifies Mark-led Exco, expels Nafiu Bala Gombe, Hon Abejide, others

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, Ademu Idakwo, and Kunle Olasanmi

In spite of the internal contradictions and legal battles rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Senator David Mark-led executive of the party yesterday held its national convention in Abuja.

The convention was held as the Supreme Court yesterday fixed April 22 for the hearing of an appeal filed by David Mark against a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former deputy national chairman of the party.

The appeal seeks to rectify the delisting of its executive officers by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Meanwhile, two other cases came up yesterday over the party leadership. While Bala Gombe prayed the Federal High Court in Abuja to adjourn the case before it indefinitely, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, ordered parties not to take any step to overreach the court in the suit before it.

A new faction of the party, led by Don Norman Obinna and six others, instituted the fresh case, dragging the party, INEC and six others before the court.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stayed away from the convention. The electoral umpire, after delisting the Mark-led executive, declared it would not attend any activity of the executive pending the vacation of a court order upon which it took the decision to de-recognise the party faction.

However, the convention ratified the Mark-led National Working Committee. It also expelled Nafiu Bala Gombe, alongside House of Representatives member, Leke Abejide, and three other party members.

Others expelled include Kenneth Ehiator, Stella Chukwu, and Elias Adiukwu.

The party, over the last few months, has been involved in a leadership crisis.

While Senator David Mark’s faction is laying claim to the leadership of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe is also leading another faction laying claim to the leadership of the party.

We Can’t Be Intimidated — David Mark

However, leaders of the Mark-led camp, at the convention, took turns to berate the President Bola Tinubu-led administration over rising insecurity and economic strain, calling for his resignation.

They also accused the president and his party of being responsible for the crises constraining opposition parties.

The convention drew several high-profile political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun; former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; former governors Rotimi Amaechi and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, among others.

Besides the dignitaries, delegates from across the country, numbering over 2,500, were at the convention.

Declaring the convention open, the national chairman, David Mark, accused the ruling party of mounting political pressure and attempting to stifle opposition voices.

“We can’t be intimidated,” Mark declared, insisting that the ADC would not bow to what he described as “tyranny and political pressure.”

He warned that Nigeria’s democracy is under serious threat, alleging a pattern of deliberate actions aimed at weakening democratic institutions and shrinking the space for opposition.

“Democracy will not die on our watch. We will not be intimidated by manipulation or political manoeuvring targeted at our party and, indeed, Nigerians,” he said.

Mark argued that the country is experiencing a dangerous convergence of crises, ranging from worsening insecurity to economic hardship and declining public trust, adding that these conditions are being compounded by what he described as governance failures.

According to him, the ADC’s resolve to proceed with the convention despite obstacles is a clear demonstration of its commitment to defending democratic values.

He praised party members and officials for their resilience, noting that they remained steadfast in the face of what he termed sustained harassment and political setbacks.

The former Senate President specifically referenced efforts to frustrate the convention, including the initial denial of the National Stadium as a venue and alleged attempts to disrupt proceedings at the eventual location.

Also speaking, chairman of the ADC National Convention Planning Committee, Liyel Imoke, reinforced the chairman’s message, describing the convention as a response to Nigeria’s urgent challenges.

“We gather here today at a defining moment in the life of our nation. This is not merely a convention; it is a convergence of purpose, a meeting of minds, and a demonstration of our collective resolve to build a better Nigeria,” Imoke said.

He emphasised that the gathering was driven by a shared recognition of worsening national conditions, including insecurity, erosion of the rule of law, shrinking democratic space, and rising cost of living.

Atiku to INEC Chairman: You Won’t Get Away With This Illegality

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, that he “will not get away” with what he described as an illegal decision to disregard the leadership of the ADC led by David Mark.

Atiku, at the gathering, maintained that the party followed due process in the emergence of David Mark and other members of the leadership team.

He stressed that the party would resist any attempt to undermine its leadership, vowing to challenge what he termed illegality by the electoral commission.

Atiku also reflected on his past political decisions, stating that he was compelled to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during its formative stage, but expressed regret over the direction the party has taken.

According to him, the APC administration has set the country back economically and is grappling with worsening security challenges.

He added that the ADC is committed to addressing these issues and would work to correct the shortcomings of the current government if given the mandate in the 2027 general elections.

Former Minister of Interior and ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, has called on President Bola Tinubu to resign over worsening insecurity and economic hardship in Nigeria.

The former Osun State governor made the call while delivering a speech at the ongoing ADC National Convention in Abuja, where he also described President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda as a scam.

Aregbesola stated: “People who deliberately split the People’s Democratic Party are today being falsely roped in as political strategists. Since when has criminality become a strategy? The ADC does not and has never owed its existence to any individual or group, including an electoral body masquerading as a neutral umpire, with its leadership in the attire of political partisanship.

“The ADC derives its existence from the aspirations and values of the Nigerian people who are tired of the deceit and colossal mismanagement to which this country is being subjected. We owe our existence to the Nigerian Constitution. We declare that freedom of association, including that to form or belong to any political party, is guaranteed and is a fundamental right.

“We are here because the ADC is on a rescue mission to reclaim the country from the strangulating grasp of the ruling party. The APC is a party which has foisted on the country an electoral law that reeks of forgery, and making false claims in electoral documents is no longer treated as invalid. In other words, the ruling party is criminalising criminality.

“We proclaim our existence because our country is worth the necessary sacrifices. We cannot allow khaki-socracy in Nigeria. The government claims that the recent reduction in exchange rates shows its mastery of the economy. This is false. In truth, the exchange rate, which was about 700 naira to the dollar at the open market (not the official rate) when this government assumed office in 2023, is now about N1,400. This amounts to a 100 per cent devaluation in an import-dependent economy. This is terribly devastating. The cost of a litre of fuel before this administration was between 185 and 238 naira, depending on the part of the country. Now it is about 1,400 per litre and still rising.”

Aregbesola expressed concern that transportation costs have risen so sharply that it is now impractical for some workers to commute to work.

The former Osun State governor also condemned a series of violent attacks across the country that have led to significant loss of lives, describing the situation as a failure of President Tinubu’s administration.

He accused the government of worsening insecurity and alleged a lack of empathy in its response to national tragedies.

Aregbesola further criticised the state of education and the economy, claiming that the number of out-of-school children has risen from 18.3 million to nearly 20 million, while many Nigerians have been pushed into extreme poverty.

Don’t Be Used to Destroy Nigeria’s Democracy, Tambuwal Cautions Judiciary

Former Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has cautioned members of the judiciary against allowing themselves to be used to undermine Nigeria’s democracy, warning that history will judge their actions.

Tambuwal gave the warning while addressing delegates at the convention of the ADC, where he expressed concern over what he described as attempts to compromise key national institutions.

“We are in very interesting times in Nigeria today, where pseudo-democrats have found their way to power and are now manifestly exposing themselves,” he said. “My appeal is not to members of the ADC for now, but to those who are leading our institutions, particularly the judiciary.”

Presidency Blasts ADC Leaders, Defends Reforms

The Presidency, however, said the record of former governor of Osun State and ex-Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, disqualifies him from criticising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or calling for his resignation.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated this in response to enquiries by LEADERSHIP following Aregbesola’s remarks at the gathering in Abuja, where he urged President Tinubu to resign and described the administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” as a “renewed scam”.

Onanuga said his attention had been drawn to Aregbesola’s comments at what he described as an “illegal elective convention” of the ADC, which he further characterised as “a party of desperados and power mongers” that, according to him, has not articulated any credible plan for Nigeria.

He accused Aregbesola of parroting what he called opposition narratives about the economy and “orchestrated reports of terrorist attacks” in parts of the country.

The presidential aide said Aregbesola failed to undertake honest self-reflection on his own record in public office as governor of Osun State and as Minister of Interior.

According to him, Aregbesola’s eight years as governor were characterised by hardship, with civil servants going unpaid for months and, in some cases, receiving only a fraction of their salaries.

He added that Osun State, under Aregbesola, became known, in his words, as “a state receiving negative federal allocation and paying just 20 to 30 per cent of normal salaries”, while pensioners were worse affected.

Onanuga further alleged that many pensioners who depended on their monthly payments died because they were not paid.

He said Aregbesola’s tenure left behind a legacy of unpaid salaries, financial recklessness, abandoned projects and policies that brought the state to ruin.

According to him, Aregbesola’s successor, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, worked to clean up much of the situation, while the current administration in the state is still dealing with the consequences.

The presidential spokesman also criticised Aregbesola’s tenure as Minister of Interior under former President Muhammadu Buhari, stating that it witnessed what he described as the highest number of jailbreaks in Nigeria’s history, including the Kuje prison escape in Abuja.

He said there were 15 major attacks on correctional facilities in Jos, Abolongo, Imo, Kabba and Okitipupa, resulting in over 4,000 inmates escaping.

Onanuga added that obtaining a Nigerian passport became “a nightmarish process” during Aregbesola’s time in office.

“For someone who failed so woefully to secure our correctional centres and uphold his duties between 2019 and 2023, it is ironic that Aregbesola now seeks to lecture others on insecurity,” he said.

He accused Aregbesola and other politicians of engaging in what he described as “cheap talk and easy criticism”, warning Nigerians not to forget what he called their “abysmal records”.

Onanuga further alleged that such politicians were “weaponising isolated terrorist attacks” as if the problem started with the current administration.

Defending the Tinubu administration, he said the government had not shied away from acknowledging that its policy reforms came with unintended consequences, particularly for vulnerable Nigerians.

He, however, said the administration had introduced measures to mitigate the impact, including increasing the minimum wage by over 100 per cent, cash transfers to vulnerable groups, support for small-scale enterprises and efforts to reduce inflation.

According to him, inflation had dropped to less than 15 per cent from over 25 per cent at the start of the reforms, while food prices were easing.

On security, Onanuga said the administration had continued to support the military, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other intelligence agencies, including investment in equipment and seeking assistance from foreign governments to tackle terrorism and banditry.

He insisted that the administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” remains on track and has received global praise, adding that it has improved GDP, strengthened foreign reserves, attracted investors and boosted the stock market.

“No, Rauf, the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a scam. The real scammers are the politicians gathered under the SPV called ADC,” he said.

Aregbesola had earlier, at the ADC convention in Abuja, called on President Tinubu to resign over what he described as persistent economic hardship and rising insecurity, while also criticising political actors over what he termed the weakening of opposition parties.

Again, Court Orders APC to Maintain Status Quo

Meanwhile, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, has ordered parties not to take any step to overreach the court in the suit before it over the leadership crisis of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In an order dated April 14, 2026, in suit No. FHC/ABM/CS/582/2026, the court ordered parties to maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

A faction of the party, led by Don Norman Obinna and six others, had dragged the party, INEC and six others before the court.

Other plaintiffs in the suit are Johnny Tovie Derek, Obah C. Ehigiator, Hon. Olona Yinka, Dr Charles Idowu Omideji, Samuel Pam Gyang and Obianyo Patrick.

Nafiu-Bala Gombe Prays Court to Adjourn Case Indefinitely

Former national deputy chairman of the ADC, Mr Nafiu-Bala Gombe, prayed the Federal High Court in Abuja to adjourn the case before it indefinitely.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sen. David Mark, the embattled National Chairman of the ADC and the second defendant in the suit filed by Gombe at the FHC, had appealed against the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal.

Gombe, through his lawyer, Lukman Fagbemi, SAN, urged Justice Emeka Nwite to adjourn the suit he filed sine die (indefinitely) pending the Supreme Court’s decision.

The development occurred shortly after the matter was called before Justice Nwite.

The judge had asked the parties, upon resumption of hearing on the suit, what the current position of the matter was.