Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Nafiu Bala, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Thursday led a group of supporters to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja in a renewed push for recognition as the authentic national chairman of the party amid an escalating internal leadership crisis.
The protest follows a parallel demonstration a day earlier by a rival faction aligned with former Senate President David Mark, which had also marched to the INEC headquarters to press its own claim over the party’s leadership structure.
During Thursday’s protest, Bala urged the electoral commission to recognise his leadership, citing a recent Court of Appeal ruling which he said affirmed his position as the legitimate national chairman of the ADC.
He accused the David Mark-led faction of attempting to take control of the party through what he described as irregular procedures, including the alleged use of forged signatures and unauthorised transfer of leadership authority.
He also referred to a recent decision by INEC on April 1 in which the commission withdrew recognition of the ADC leadership, citing a court directive and stating that it would not supervise party congresses or conventions pending a final court determination.
INEC had earlier clarified that it would not monitor internal party congresses or conventions of the ADC until a court of competent jurisdiction resolves the dispute, effectively placing the party’s organisational processes on hold.
The rival faction associated with David Mark includes prominent political figures such as Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rabiu Kwankwaso, who have been linked to the internal coalition structure, though all sides continue to contest the legitimacy of competing leadership claims.
Bala further told supporters at the INEC headquarters that the alleged actions of the rival faction represented a serious breach of democratic norms, warning that the use of forged signatures and irregular documentation undermines public trust in political institutions and weakens internal party democracy.
He called on relevant authorities to investigate the allegations thoroughly and ensure accountability, insisting that the leadership crisis began after the resignation of the party’s former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu, and has since deepened into a multi-factional struggle.
Bala urged INEC to update its official records to reflect his position as national chairman, arguing that such recognition would align with judicial pronouncements and help restore order and stability within the party’s structure.
The protest underscores a widening internal rift within the ADC as competing factions intensify legal and political battles over control of the party’s leadership and future direction, with the Independent National Electoral Commission maintaining a cautious stance pending judicial resolution.
Party observers say the dispute reflects a broader pattern of leadership instability within smaller opposition parties in Nigeria, where internal elections and court challenges often determine control of party structures rather than consensus-based resolutions.
INEC, as Nigeria’s electoral regulator, is required to maintain neutrality in party disputes but is often drawn into controversies when rival factions seek official recognition or attempt to validate competing congress outcomes through court orders.
Thursday’s protest follows a series of recent demonstrations at the INEC headquarters in Abuja linked to internal party disputes, reflecting growing tensions between factions seeking administrative recognition and judicial backing for their claims.
Bala maintained that a Court of Appeal judgment he referenced provides legal basis for his claim, though details of the ruling and its scope remain subject to competing interpretations by the factions involved in the dispute.
Police authorities confirmed that the suspects remain in custody as investigations continue and reiterated that formal charges will be filed upon completion of inquiries into alleged breaches of criminal and electoral laws connected to violent political activities.
The African Democratic Congress has in recent years experienced periodic internal leadership disputes, with factions emerging over control of its national executive structure following the resignation of its former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu. The current dispute has further intensified these divisions, with rival camps asserting legitimacy through competing interpretations of party constitution provisions and court orders.
The situation has raised broader concerns among political stakeholders about the stability of internal party democracy in Nigeria, particularly the frequency with which disputes escalate into parallel leadership claims that require judicial intervention and regulatory caution from electoral authorities.
Under Nigeria’s electoral framework, INEC is mandated to oversee party registration, monitor compliance with constitutional requirements, and supervise elective congresses, but it often adopts a restrained approach when disputes are sub judice, deferring to judicial outcomes before taking definitive administrative positions.
Political analysts note that the involvement of prominent political figures in the broader ADC coalition has amplified public attention on the dispute, making it one of the more closely watched internal party conflicts in recent times.
Law enforcement agencies in Lagos and Abuja have in recent months increased monitoring of politically linked demonstrations, particularly those involving competing claims over party leadership, in order to prevent escalation into violence or disruption of public order.
The latest protest adds to a growing series of public displays of intra-party disagreement within the ADC, underscoring unresolved questions about succession, legitimacy, and the legal interpretation of internal party governance documents, all of which continue to shape the trajectory of the dispute.
With court proceedings ongoing and rival factions continuing to assert competing claims, the Independent National Electoral Commission has maintained that it will not take definitive administrative action on the party’s leadership until a competent court issues a final and binding determination, leaving the ADC’s internal structure in a state of administrative uncertainty.
Observers also say the recurring pattern of factional disputes and parallel claims within political parties highlights ongoing challenges in consolidating democratic governance structures in Nigeria’s multiparty system, where legal, administrative, and political processes often intersect in complex ways that delay resolution of internal conflicts.
Authorities and party stakeholders are expected to await the outcome of ongoing judicial proceedings before any formal restructuring or recognition of leadership changes is implemented, as tensions remain high within the party’s national framework.
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