Published by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Port Harcourt — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State has confirmed it will go ahead with its scheduled ward, local government and state congresses despite a deepening leadership crisis and ongoing national litigation that has unsettled the party’s structure and drawn regulatory scrutiny. The decision, announced by the State Chairman, Leader Sampson, came at a press briefing in Port Harcourt where he insisted the Rivers chapter remains united, prepared, and operating within legal bounds.
Sampson told reporters the directive to proceed with the congresses followed guidance from the party’s national leadership under Senator David Mark, whom his supporters recognise as the legitimate National Chairman. Sampson said the Rivers chapter has finalised preparations across thousands of units and had notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in line with statutory requirements. He dismissed assertions that the court dispute should halt party activities, describing them as misunderstandings of legal process and party constitutional autonomy. Sampson also accused INEC of unfairly excluding the ADC from recent electoral processes, an allegation the electoral body denies.
The Rivers chapter’s position stands in contrast with developments in other states. The Ondo State ADC chapter, for example, announced the suspension of its congresses, citing compliance with an INEC directive to maintain the status quo amid the dispute pending further clarity from the courts. Leaders in Anambra State similarly suspended their congresses, emphasising respect for due process and judicial authority. In Kaduna State, by contrast, the ADC rescheduled its congresses to accommodate a wave of recent defectors into the party, underscoring how local political dynamics are shaping divergent responses to the national dispute.
This internal organisational tension stems from a broader leadership conflict that has engulfed the ADC nationally. The crisis began after the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu and the subsequent emergence of Senator David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as party leaders. That transition was legally challenged by a faction led by Nafiu Bala, a former deputy national chairman, who contested Mark’s ascendancy and initiated litigation at the Federal High Court. A Court of Appeal ruling in March directed all parties, including INEC, to maintain “status quo ante bellum” — essentially freezing changes — while the substantive suit proceeds.
In response to the appellate court guidance, INEC removed the names of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from its leadership portal and suspended recognition of the party’s activities pending the resolution of the leadership dispute. The commission asserted it was upholding the court’s order and maintaining neutrality, a stance challenged vigorously by ADC leadership. The party described INEC’s actions as misinterpretation of the judiciary’s intent and beyond its constitutional supervisory role over political parties. ADC officials have also accused the electoral body of acting under political influence and attempting to limit their participation in the upcoming 2027 general elections.
The dispute has spilled into public political contestation. On April 8, senior ADC figures including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and Rotimi Amaechi, alongside Mark and Aregbesola, led a peaceful protest in Abuja. The demonstration culminated in the submission of a formal petition demanding the resignation of the INEC chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, whom the ADC accuses of partisanship and undermining democratic competition. Protesters argued that INEC’s stance threatened Nigeria’s multiparty system and democratic integrity.
Within the ADC itself, factional responses have varied. Some state chapters continue to rally behind the Mark leadership, reaffirming their belief in its legitimacy and urging members to participate in internal democratic exercises. In Plateau State, for instance, the chapter reaffirmed its support for Mark and insisted screening and congress activities should proceed, signalling an effort to maintain cohesion and bolster organisational strength ahead of key political milestones.
Political analysts observing the situation argue that the ADC’s difficulties highlight broader challenges in Nigerian party politics where leadership transitions, legal interventions and regulatory actions often intersect in ways that can disrupt organisational coherence. The tension between respecting judicial preservation orders and maintaining functional party structures poses complex legal and political dilemmas. The outcome of the ongoing litigation will likely have significant ramifications not only for the ADC’s internal governance but also for its ability to field candidates in the 2027 elections, particularly as deadlines for nomination processes approach.
The ADC’s public posture underscores its dual aims: asserting internal democratic autonomy while challenging what it frames as regulatory overreach. The decision by the Rivers chapter to proceed with congresses, despite contrasting approaches in other states and the wider national uncertainty, illustrates the contested nature of party authority in the current crisis. With multiple court dates looming and negotiations ongoing between party factions, regulators and stakeholders, the ADC’s organisational calendar remains unprecedentedly fluid.
As Nigeria’s political calendar intensifies, the broader implications of the ADC’s leadership dispute will extend beyond internal party disputes to touch questions about electoral fairness, regulatory boundaries, and opposition viability in a highly competitive political environment.
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