Nafiu Bala, State Chairmen Were Part Of Process That Produced David Mark As ADC Chair — Ralph Nwosu

Immediate-past national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralph Nwosu, has pushed back against growing complaints from some state chairmen within the party about alleged party leadership hijack, insisting that those now questioning the emergence of former Senate President David Mark as the party’s national chairman were fully involved in the process that led to his emergence.

Nwosu made the remarks during an interview on Arise News Channel’s News Night on Tuesday, where he defended the legitimacy of the internal processes that culminated in the party’s leadership change.

According to him, the aggrieved officials, including former deputy national chairman, Nafiu Bala, and several state chairpersons, cannot credibly distance themselves from the events that shaped the ADC’s leadership structure between 2024 and 2025 leading to Mark’s emergence.

“Nafiu Bala, all the state chairmen were part of the programme that produced David Mark as ADC national chairman,” Nwosu said.

He maintained that the developments that eventually led to Mark’s emergence did not happen in isolation, but were the outcome of a series of meetings, reconciliatory efforts, and official party engagements in which the current dissenting voices actively participated.

“Everything that happened in 2024 to 2025 before David Mark became chairman, all of these state chairmen were part of the programme.

“All the state chairmen that are now complaining that Nwosu’s tenure ended, they were all in meetings with Nwosu,” he said.

He further disclosed that some of the individuals now raising objections had at some point written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), expressing their intention to return to the party, after which a formal reconciliation process was initiated.

“They wrote to INEC that they wanted to come back to the party. INEC organised what we call ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution), and from there, we decided to reabsorb them into the party,” he stated.

According to the former national chairman, that dispute resolution process was a major turning point in restoring internal cohesion within the ADC and laid the foundation for the sequence of events that later produced a new leadership structure for party.

He stressed that the programmes and meetings held in 2024 and 2025 were not secretive or exclusionary, but rather inclusive engagements involving the same party stakeholders who are now expressing dissatisfaction.

“All the programmes that happened in 2024, 2025, culminating in David Mark becoming the national chairman, they were part of it,” Nwosu said.

To underscore his point, Nwosu referenced the July 2, 2025 event at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, saying it was a public demonstration of support for the transition and that the now aggrieved party officials were physically present and visibly supportive.

“Nafiu Bala and the state chairmen were all there at Yar’Adua Centre on July 2, 2025, clapping,” he said.

He also cited a subsequent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on July 29, saying the agenda was properly communicated and known to all relevant stakeholders, including the electoral commission.

“On the 29th of July, we had a NEC. Our agenda was clear. INEC had the agenda.

“We had about five meetings. They were all there,” he said.

He also named other party figures whom he said were present during the transition discussions, including Dr Ajadi, whom he described as a long-standing member of the ADC and now a key official in the restructured leadership.

“Dr Ajadi was part of the old ADC. He was there. He is the deputy chairman in the new ADC.

“The national chairman was there, all the agencies were there, INEC was also there,” Nwosu insisted.