Nafiu Bala, the factional national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has confirmed his attendance at the July 2025 event where an interim leadership led by David Mark was unveiled, a move that has deepened the party’s internal crisis. Bala issued a clarifying statement on Tuesday following the circulation of viral videos on social media that showed him present at the ceremony held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. He firmly stated that his presence should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the new leadership, insisting the event was intended for a different purpose that was suddenly hijacked.
The ADC has been embroiled in a significant internal crisis since July 2025 when an opposition coalition assumed control, leading to two competing factions. One faction is led by Bala, while the other is led by former Senate President David Mark, with both groups claiming legitimate authority over the party. This leadership dispute escalated into prolonged legal battles, culminating last Wednesday in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) de-recognising both factions based on a March 12 judgment from the Court of Appeal.
The controversy around Bala’s involvement was reignited by videos obtained by TheCable, including a clip from a YouTube channel called Symfoni dated July 2, 2025. The footage clearly shows Bala seated among party stakeholders, including former Labour Party chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo. During the ceremony, former presidential aide Lauretta Onochie even introduced Bala as the ADC Deputy National Chairman for Intergovernmental Affairs, an act that seemed to place him within the fold of the new leadership structure.
In his response, Bala provided a detailed account of the day’s events, arguing that the meeting was originally convened to adopt the ADC as a unified platform for coalition partners, not to announce a new party executive. He described how the situation took an unexpected turn when the then-national chairman, Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, was given the floor. Bala claimed that Nwosu shocked attendees by announcing his own resignation and then immediately issuing membership cards to David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, declaring them the acting national chairman and national secretary respectively.
Bala described this move as unconstitutional, citing specific articles of the ADC Constitution (2022, as amended). He argued that Articles 8(2) and 9(4) outline a proper procedure for replacing the national chairman and do not empower an outgoing chairman to unilaterally appoint a successor. Bala emphasised that there was no formal vote or consensus on these appointments, and that several members of the National Working Committee, including himself, were completely taken aback by the sudden developments. He further revealed that the then-national secretary, Sa’id Baba Abdullahi, also resigned shortly after, and that NWC members were not informed about these plans beforehand.
The factional chairman maintained that his previous engagements with coalition partners between April 2024 and July 2025, as well as his attendance at the fateful meeting, were part of legitimate party efforts to build a strong opposition coalition. He stated unequivocally that these actions should not be seen as support for what he calls the irregular appointments made by Nwosu. His statement aimed to set the record straight following the widespread circulation of the videos online. As the ADC navigates this period of uncertainty following INEC’s de-recognition, the party’s future stability hinges on resolving these deep-seated constitutional and leadership disputes.
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