Former national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralph Nwosu, has said Nafiu Bala and all state chairmen attended the inauguration of the David Mark-led leadership.
Since July 2025, when the opposition coalition came into control of the ADC, the party has been enmeshed in internal conflicts, with Bala and the Mark-led faction laying claim to the party’s leadership.
The dispute blew up into legal contests, prompting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-recognise both factions on April 1, citing the March 12 judgment of the court of appeal.
In the face of the controversy, viral videos showed Bala’s attendance at the ADC unveiling of the Mark-led leadership in July 2025.
In a statement, Bala acknowledged his presence but insisted there was no prior agreement to appoint the Mark-led leadership.
He accused Nwosu of imposing the Mark-led executives on party members without consultation with the national working committee (NWC).
Speaking on behalf of the forum at a news conference in Abuja, Don Obinna, chairman of the ADC in Abia, said Mark and Bala “hijacked” the party from “bonafide” members.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Nwosu refuted claims that some stakeholders were excluded from the process that produced the current leadership.
“I know that in some of your reels, you have all the activities we carried out from 2024 to 2025, including what happened in 2025 when David Mark became chairman. All the state chairmen were part of the programme,” he said.
“We reabsorbed them, and all the programmes that took place in 2024 and 2025, culminating in David Mark becoming the national chairman, involved them. They were part of it.
“They were all there, clapping, Nafiu and all the state chairmen. If you check your July 2 reel, you will see them.
“INEC had the agenda, and all the states had it as well. We had about five different meetings, and they were all present,” he said.
“In the current leadership of the ADC, out of about 29 members, eight were from the legacy ADC, which is a fair share. Dr Ajadi, who is from the old ADC, is now a deputy chairman, and the national treasurer, Dr Mani, is also part of the leadership.
“The truth is that from Bala to all the state chairmen, they were there. You can go back to the archives and confirm this. All the relevant agencies were present, and INEC was also there,” he said.
