‘I was tricked,’ ADC’s Bala says he never backed David Mark’s party takeover

The acclaimed acting National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nafiu Bala, has alleged that he was deceived into attending the ceremony where the party’s leadership was handed over to new officials.

Bala made the claim in an interview with Africa Independent Television aired on Monday while reacting to reports that he was present when former Senate President David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola were installed as interim national chairman and secretary of the party.

According to Bala, he was invited under the impression that the July 2025 event was only for the adoption of new coalition members into the ADC by former chairman Ralph Nwosu.

He said he later discovered that the gathering was a leadership handover ceremony.

“I was tricked to attend the handing-over ceremony to David Mark. Ralph told me that it was just adoption of new members for the coalition movement,” Bala said.

“But on the same day, Nwosu announced his resignation, and on the same day, he announced David Mark and other excos.”

Bala, who was the party’s deputy national chairman at the time, said he had no prior knowledge of the transition and did not consent to it.

He added that after consultations with members of the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee, he forwarded his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission as acting National Chairman.

Bala claimed INEC informed him that he had resigned as deputy national chairman, which he described as part of the alleged deception.

His words: “Immediately after one week, we started organising meetings. The remaining NWC and NEC members were consulting across the country before taking any action.

“After consultations, I wrote a letter to INEC, as Deputy National Chairman and with the remaining NWC, stating that I had resumed office as the authentic acting National Chairman of the party.

“After the consultations, I remember that immediately we went to court,” Bala said.

The crisis within the ADC has deepened ahead of the 2027 general elections, with rival camps loyal to Mark, Gombe and former presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu laying claim to the party’s leadership.

Recall that the Supreme Court has fixed April 22 for the hearing of an appeal arising from the party’s leadership crisis filed by David Mark.

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