 intensified on Tuesday as state chairmen opposed what they described as an unconstitutional){kind=link}
The internal crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) intensified on Tuesday as state chairmen opposed what they described as an unconstitutional attempt to seize control of the party by a coalition allegedly led by former Senate President, Senator David Mark.
The chairmen, operating under the aegis of “Concerned State Chairmen of the ADC,” issued a worded statement condemning the move, which they likened to political coup aimed at destabilising the party’s democratic structure.
“The Concerned State Chairmen of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a scathing condemnation of what they describe as an ‘orchestrated political coup’ by a coalition led by Senator David Mark, labelling it a ‘blatant and reckless subversion’ of the party and Nigeria’s democratic norms,” the statement said.
The statement, jointly signed by forum leader Elias Adokwu and the group’s publicity secretary Godwin Alaku, was titled “Rejecting the Political Junta by Defending ADC and Nigeria’s Democracy Against Subversion.”
According to the chairmen, the coalition’s actions were a calculated attempt to hijack the party’s structure through manipulation and backdoor political arrangements.
“We unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms this desperate power grab, which represents not only an aberration of democratic norms but also a grave assault on our collective political values as a nation.
Describing the alleged plot as a thinly veiled attempt to serve narrow political interests, the ADC chairmen insisted that the move was not based on ideological realignment but was, in their words, the work of a “civilian junta” seeking control outside of legal and democratic processes.
They further described the attempted takeover as an insult to all those who believe in and have laboured for democratic governance in Nigeria.”
They also accused the coalition of promoting division within the party through self-serving motives and underhanded inducements, warning that such moves threaten the integrity of the political system.
The statement, however, reaffirmed the party’s commitment to democratic principles, the rule of law, ideological clarity, and peaceful political engagement, stressing that the ADC would never be a platform for “political mercenaries or ideological impostors.”
The Chairmen added, “The ADC is not for sale, not for hijack, and certainly not a dumping ground for discredited power brokers,” the chairmen declared.
“We, the legitimate custodians of the ADC structure across all states of the federation, reject this illegitimate junta.
“We consider it our patriotic duty to defend the soul of the ADC and protect the sanctity of democratic structures in Nigeria,” the statement concluded.