Nafi’u Bala, a former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Gombe, has declared himself as the national chairman of the party.
At a press conference held Wednesday night in Abuja, Bala accused the David Mark-led faction of illegally hijacking the party’s leadership and violating its constitution. He vowed to challenge the move in court, describing it as a “shameful political takeover orchestrated by outsiders.”
“We wish to draw the attention of all members of our great party and Nigerians at large, to the ongoing acts of political hooliganism being perpetrated by some individuals who were hitherto entrusted with the leadership of the party,” Bala said.
He alleged that the party’s structures have been unlawfully surrendered to political figures with no ties to the ADC, warning that such actions undermine internal democracy.
Here’s a simpler and more human version:
The coalition includes big names like former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; ex-Senate President David Mark; Uche Secondus, a former PDP national chairman; former governors Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), and Liyel Imoke (Cross River).
Others in the group are former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai; 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi; Rauf Aregbesola, former interior minister; Rotimi Amaechi, former transport minister; Solomon Dalung, ex-sports minister; Odigie Oyegun, a former APC chairman; and Bolaji Abdullahi, also a former sports minister, among others.
On July 2, the party’s founder and former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu, announced that the national working committee (NWC) had stepped down and endorsed an interim leadership led by David Mark.
Later, on July 29, Nwosu revealed that he had been offered three ministerial positions to abandon plans of turning the ADC into an opposition coalition platform.
However, not everyone in the party supports this move. A faction within the ADC argued that the party should not be “hijacked by a few powerful individuals” and turned into a private coalition platform.
Dumebi Kachikwu, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has also spoken out against the decision to adopt the ADC for the opposition alliance.
Bala said “bonafide” party members will challenge the alleged takeover of the party in court.
“We wish to draw the attention of all members of our great party and Nigerians at large, to the ongoing acts of political hooliganism being perpetrated by some individuals who were hitherto entrusted with the leadership of the party,” he said.
“We are all living witnesses to the show of shame and acts of lawlessness being displayed by these unscrupulous leaders, who, without any qualm or sense of moral restraint, plunged our party into a needless crisis and leadership uncertainty.
“The idea of mortgaging the future of our great party, by abdicating the constitutional duties and responsibilities of all elected officers of the party, to some powerful outsiders who never belong to the party, is condemnable.“Recently, the nation woke up only to be greeted by a shoddily
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