By Our Correspondent
National News – A fresh leadership dispute has intensified within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after a group of state chairmen announced the formation of a caretaker committee to take charge of the party amid its lingering internal crisis.
The chairmen, claiming to represent 25 states, declared that they had assumed control of the party through the National Executive Committee structure.
The group, supported by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, unveiled Kingsley Ogga, the Kogi State chairman of the party, as head of the newly constituted caretaker committee.
The faction maintained that the committee would manage the party’s affairs pending the emergence of a new National Working Committee at a future convention.
Other members of the interim leadership include Odion Kennedy as acting secretary and Mohammad Jidda as deputy chairman, alongside several state chairmen assigned to national roles.
The latest development follows the removal of some party leaders from the records of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Among those affected are former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola, a decision the faction described as consistent with legal directives relating to the party’s leadership dispute.
Internal tensions within the ADC have persisted since the controversy surrounding the tenure of former national chairman Ralph Nwosu, which ended in 2022 but continued to generate disagreements among party leaders.
The dispute gradually evolved into competing claims for leadership control, resulting in multiple court battles and the emergence of rival camps within the party.
With the creation of the caretaker committee, the party now appears divided into three blocs: the David Mark-led coalition group, the faction associated with Nafiu Gombe, and the state chairmen’s NEC bloc led by Kingsley Ogga and supported by Dumebi Kachikwu.
Supporters of the caretaker committee insist that the body of state chairmen remains the legitimate authority within the party and has the constitutional power to oversee its operations in the absence of a recognised National Working Committee.
However, the leadership aligned with David Mark has rejected the development, describing the move as an attempt by disgruntled elements to destabilise the party.
The camp also accused certain political actors of encouraging the dissent in order to weaken opposition parties ahead of future elections.
The situation has further deepened the uncertainty surrounding the party’s internal structure as rival groups continue to assert legitimacy over the organisation’s leadership.
