Bala of ADC claims he was deceived, denies supporting David Mark's bid to seize party control

Nafiu Bala, the acting National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, has come forward with allegations that he was misled into attending a ceremony where the party's leadership was transferred to new officials, specifically to David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola.

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This revelation was made during an interview with Africa Independent Television, which aired on Monday, as Bala responded to reports of his presence at the event where Mark and Aregbesola were installed as interim national chairman and secretary of the party.

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According to Bala, he was invited to the July 2025 event under the pretense that it was solely for the adoption of new coalition members into the ADC, as conveyed to him by former chairman Ralph Nwosu.

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However, upon arrival, Bala discovered that the gathering was, in fact, a leadership handover ceremony, which he claimed was a deception.

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Bala recounted being "tricked" into attending the ceremony, stating that Nwosu had informed him it was merely for the adoption of new members, but instead, Nwosu announced his resignation and the appointment of David Mark and other executives on the same day.

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At the time, Bala held the position of deputy national chairman and asserted that he had no prior knowledge of the transition and did not provide his consent.

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Following consultations with members of the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee, Bala submitted his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the acting National Chairman.

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

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Bala recalled that after a week, he and the remaining members of the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee began organizing meetings and consulting across the country before taking any action.

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Subsequent to these consultations, Bala wrote a letter to INEC, stating that he had assumed office as the authentic acting National Chairman of the party, and soon after, they proceeded to court.

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The crisis within the ADC has intensified ahead of the 2027 general elections, with rival camps loyal to Mark, Gombe, and former presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu vying for control of the party's leadership.

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The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for April 22 to address an appeal related to the party's leadership crisis, which was filed by David Mark.