By Gideon Maxwell
April 3, 2026
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has escalated its public offensive against the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over the deepening leadership crisis rocking the opposition party, insisting the turmoil is a product of reckless power pursuits and internal contradictions, not external interference.
In a series of statements and media engagements, the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, has characterised the ADC’s challenges as “self‑inflicted,” dismissing allegations that the APC or government influence on the Independent National Electoral Commission played any part in recent decisions by INEC to derecognise rival factions within the ADC.
According to the ruling party, the ongoing dispute within the ADC, which has seen competing claims to the national chairmanship by former Senate President David Mark and factional leaders such as Nafiu Bala Gombe, stems from alleged violations of the party’s constitution and a chaotic grab for power without regard for due process.
“Our great party and the administration of President Bola Tinubu remain steadfast in delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Morka said, adding that the opposition’s internal crisis will not distract the APC from its governance agenda, and that Nigerians should judge political platforms by their ability to manage themselves.
The APC’s rhetoric has been sharp and dismissive, labelling the ADC as “an assembly of Nigeria’s most confused, desperate politicians” with “nothing to offer more than senseless attacks” on the ruling party, accusing it of peddling conspiracy theories instead of addressing its internal failings.
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The crisis escalated when the Independent National Electoral Commission announced it would no longer recognise correspondence from either major faction of the ADC, the David Mark‑led group and that of Nafiu Bala Gombe, following conflicting legal representations and a Court of Appeal directive to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending further adjudication by the Federal High Court.
Reacting to INEC’s action, the APC has thrown its weight behind the commission’s position, describing the decision to remove the Mark leadership from official recognition as legally justified and a direct result of the ADC’s constitutional and procedural missteps.
The ADC leadership factions have responded with their own narratives.
The Mark‑aligned camp and other members have accused INEC of acting under pressure from the APC to weaken opposition ahead of the 2027 general election, allegations that the ruling party vehemently rejects.
Factional acting national chairman Nafiu Bala has also hit back at reports about his role in the crisis, disowning claims that he resigned and asserting that his signature was forged on purported letters of resignation.
Meanwhile the ADC’s national chairman, David Mark, has cast the situation in political terms, accusing the Tinubu administration of seeking to “destroy opposition parties” as political alignments begin to shift and high‑profile figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi consolidate space within the ADC.
Observers say the ADC’s instability plays into a broader realignment of Nigeria’s political landscape.
With the People’s Democratic Party and Labour Party both struggling with internal crises, political analysts suggest the contest for influence ahead of the 2027 presidential election may increasingly be framed as a duel between the APC and a resurgent ADC, if the latter can resolve its leadership crisis and present a united front.
The People’s Redemption Party has even urged top ADC figures to unite within a broader coalition to protect democratic competition, highlighting concerns that fragmentation among opposition parties could weaken Nigeria’s electoral contest and democratic vibrancy.
ADC supporters have warned that unresolved infighting threatens to alienate grassroots voters and could set back efforts to offer a credible challenge to the ruling party, while critics of the APC argue that the narrative of self‑infliction masks deeper issues about political patronage, institutional independence, and the role of party politics in democratic governance.
As legal battles proceed and the contest for party supremacy intensifies, the crisis afflicting the ADC stands as a stark reminder of the precarious nature of opposition politics in Nigeria, and the potentially high political costs when ambition outpaces organisational cohesion.
