Nafiu Bala, factional national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has confirmed that he attended the July 2025 unveiling of the party’s interim leadership led by former Senate President David Mark, but insists that the appointments were imposed and lacked due process.
Bala issued the clarification on Tuesday following the circulation of viral videos showing him at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja during the event, seated alongside other party stakeholders, including former Labour Party chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo.
While Bala acknowledged his presence, he stressed that his attendance did not signify approval of the Mark-led leadership. He also addressed a now-deleted Facebook post in which he had celebrated the emergence of Mark as party chairman, saying that the post did not reflect consent to the process.
The alleged Facebook post
“My attendance at the meeting and previous engagements with coalition partners from April 2024 to July 2025 do not imply endorsement of the irregular appointments,” Bala said.
According to Bala, the meeting held on July 2, 2025, was originally convened to adopt the ADC as a unified platform for coalition partners, not to unveil new party leaders.
“Contrary to expectations, the event took an unexpected turn when Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, the then national chairman, delivered his address, announced his resignation, and proceeded to issue membership cards to Sen. David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, declaring them acting national chairman and national secretary,” Bala explained.
He argued that Nwosu’s actions violated Articles 8(2) and 9(4) of the ADC Constitution (2022, as amended), which do not empower an outgoing chairman to appoint a successor without proper procedure.
“There was no formal vote or consensus on the appointments, and several National Working Committee members, including myself, were taken aback by the developments,” Bala said.
Bala also revealed that following Nwosu’s announcement, Sa’id Baba Abdullahi, the then national secretary of the party, resigned under unclear circumstances. “None of the NWC members were privy to the situation, and neither Nwosu nor Abdullahi had discussed the matter with us prior to the meeting,” he added.
The clarification comes amid a protracted leadership crisis that has engulfed the ADC since July 2025, when the opposition coalition assumed control. Bala and the Mark-led faction have both laid claim to the party’s leadership, resulting in ongoing legal battles.
The controversy escalated after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last week derecognised both factions, citing the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which directed parties to maintain the status quo pending resolution by the Federal High Court.
Bala said his statement was intended to provide accurate context to the circulating videos and to set the record straight on his role at the July 2025 event.