Reject Mark-led Leadership, 2 ADC Chairmen Tell INEC

Two state chairmen of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) have asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject the party’s national leadership under Senator David Mark.

The ADC state chairmen, Elias Adokwu and Godwin Alaku, in a press release, alleged that the coalition led by Senator David Mark and some others, hijacked their party in a clandestine and unconstitutional way.

But the ADC State Chairmen Forum led by the Kogi State chairman, Kingsley Ogga, described their call as baseless.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP in Lokoja, Ogga, who admitted that no chairman has been substituted in any state across the country, however said those who are afraid of the coalition do not understand the dynamics of modern politics.

Earlier, Elias Adokwu and Godwin Alaku, asked INEC to reject Senator David Marks’ national leadership of the party.

They said “We, the legitimate custodians of the ADC structure across all states of the federation, reject this illegitimate junta. We consider it our patriotic duty to defend the soul of the ADC and protect the sanctity of democratic structures in Nigeria.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to resist any pressure to recognize any illegal change of leadership in ADC.

“The Nigerian public, civil society organizations, and international observers to monitor and resist this creeping authoritarianism.

“Law enforcement agencies to investigate all unlawful attempts to disrupt political order under the guise of coalition arrangements,” they said.

But Ogga called on party members to disregard their claim, saying “it’s baseless and of no consequence.”

He said, “As their chairman, I have talked to them, particularly my colleagues from Nasarawa and Benue on the need for us to embrace the Coalition, but they seem not to understand.

“The essence of building a viable and strong political party is to win a reasonable number of electoral positions, which has not been happening in the ADC.

“It is only in Kogi State that I won one House of Representatives seat in 2019 and one House of Representatives seat and two House of Assembly seats in 2023. Though, those house of Assembly members have decamped now.

“What I told them is for us to join hands to build a strong party that can rival the ruling party. Even if we are not number one we can be number two. But those sponsoring them are not looking at this bigger picture,” he said.