By Our Correspondent
National News – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chapter in Cross River State has rejected the emergence of an interim national caretaker committee, describing the development as unconstitutional and potentially damaging to the party’s participation in the 2027 general elections.
The rejection was announced on Tuesday in Calabar during a press briefing held at the Ernest Bassey Press Centre.
Speaking at the briefing, the party’s State Vice Chairman (Central) and Director of Policy and Strategy, Dr. MacFarlane Ejah, said the state chapter was alarmed by what it called the erosion of internal democracy within the party’s national leadership.
He warned that the controversial leadership arrangement could weaken the party’s credibility and affect its chances in the 2027 elections if not addressed quickly.
According to Ejah, the dispute began after a meeting reportedly held on July 29, 2025, in Abuja, where a group allegedly dissolved the party’s elected National Executive Committee and announced an interim caretaker committee.
Among those reportedly listed in the new leadership structure were former Senate President David Mark as interim national chairman and former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim national secretary.
Ejah insisted that the move violates the ADC’s 2018 constitution, which he said does not recognise interim or caretaker leadership at any level of the party structure.
He explained that party officials must emerge through properly conducted congresses in accordance with both the party’s constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
He further warned that allowing what he described as an illegitimate leadership to organise party congresses and conventions could jeopardise the nomination of candidates for the 2027 elections.
According to him, candidates produced through processes conducted by an illegal leadership risk disqualification under electoral laws.
The party official also disclosed that he had submitted a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking the electoral body to intervene.
The petition seeks to stop the caretaker committee from presenting itself as the legitimate leadership of the party and to halt the planned congresses scheduled between April 7 and April 14, 2026.
Ejah added that the party had given INEC a seven-day ultimatum to respond to the petition, warning that failure to act could push the party to seek legal action in court.
He emphasised that members of the party were committed to preserving democratic processes within the ADC and demanded a return to leadership structures formed through legitimate congresses.
