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ADC crisis escalates as faction petitions INEC to remove Mark, Aregbesola
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Court ruling fuels ADC leadership battle, Bala insists on takeover
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APC denies role in ADC crisis, urges respect for court order
The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress(ADC) has intensified, with a rival faction formally urging the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw recognition of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s national chairman and secretary.
The faction, led by Nafiu Bala, is seeking to take control of the party’s leadership structure, insisting he is the rightful chairman following the resignation of former leader Ralph Nwosu.
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The move comes after the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal filed by Mark, challenging an earlier decision of the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite.
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The appellate court ruled that the appeal was procedurally incompetent and directed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Following the ruling, Bala, through his counsel, approached INEC, asking the commission to stop recognising the current leadership and to uphold the court’s directive.
However, a counter letter by legal practitioner, Dr Sulaimon Usman (SAN), urged INEC to ignore Bala’s request, arguing that the existing leadership remains valid until the court reaches a final decision on the matter.
Meanwhile, the crisis has taken a political dimension, with allegations that elements within the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress are attempting to influence INEC to weaken the ADC ahead of the 2027 elections.
Reacting, APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, dismissed the claims, describing them as baseless and urging the party to focus on resolving its internal disputes.
He maintained that neither the APC nor the Presidency is involved in the matter, stressing that all parties must obey the subsisting court order maintaining the status quo.