A faction of the African Democratic Congress aligned with Dumebi Kachikwu dissolved the party’s National Working Committee led by David Mark and installed a new leadership team at a national convention in Abuja on Sunday.
Delegates from across the country gathered for the meeting, where Abdulkadir Bashir was announced as national chairman, Johnny Derek as deputy national chairman, Kennedy Odion as national secretary, Joe Aro as national treasurer, Chris Ugwu as national publicity secretary, Elias as national organising secretary, Patrick Ambut as national chief whip and Adamu Sahad as deputy national chairman for ethics. Kingsley Oggah was appointed chairman of the faction’s Board of Trustees.
The faction said the move was meant to put its affairs under a new structure after months of dispute over who controls the party. The ADC is split into three distinct factions, with the David Mark-led camp, the Nafiu Bala faction and the Kachikwu-backed group each claiming legitimacy and separately approaching the courts over the party’s authentic leadership structure.
In April, the Independent National Electoral Commission suspended recognition of the leadership of all factions after a Court of Appeal ruling and ongoing litigation. On 30 April, INEC updated the official register of political parties to recognise the David Mark faction, a move that sharpened the contest over the party’s future and left the rival camps fighting both in public and in court.
At Sunday’s convention, the ADC chairman in Delta State, Austin Okolie, moved the motion to adopt the new National Working Committee members, and the party chairman in Jigawa State, Kabiru Hussaini, seconded it. The new officers were immediately sworn in.
In his acceptance speech, Bashir accused the David Mark leadership of being “biased and selfishly motivated,” underscoring how far the split has widened. Former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola is the national secretary in the David Mark-led faction, which remains at the center of the recognition battle.
The Kachikwu-aligned group also said it plans to convene a national convention as part of efforts to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. A statement issued in Abuja and signed by Kingsley Ogga described Sunday’s gathering as part of the party’s strategic preparations for that fight, but the existence of three competing factions and the unresolved court cases mean the question of who truly speaks for the ADC is still not settled.
