On July 2, 2025, Nafiu Bala, the factional acting national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was among the stakeholders who attended the party’s unveiling of the interim leadership of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola.
The event took place at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The event was attended by many politicians, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Peter Obi, 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP); Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna; Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation; Emeka Ihedioha, ex-speaker of the house of representatives; and Ireti Kingibe, senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Others were John Oyegun, the former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Abubakar Malami, the former attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice; Dino Melaye, former Kogi west senator; Solomon Dalung, former minister of sports; Aisha Yesufu, an activist; Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation magazine; Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia south, and Gabriel Suswan, former governor of Benue.
At the event, Bala was introduced by Lauretta Onochie, former presidential aide, who co-moderated the programme, as the ADC deputy national chairman, intergovernmental affairs.
Gombe stood up from his seat to acknowledge the introduction.
The introduction can be viewed in the 14:03 section of a video posted by Symfoni on July 2, 2026.
While addressing the gathering, Ralph Nwosu, founder and former national chairman of ADC, said the party’s national executive council (NEC) and national working committee (NWC) decided to resign to allow Mark to become the interim national chairman.
Nwosu said the decision took the party’s leadership “18 months of war”.
“We all decided to resign so that they (Mark-led leadership) can pedal this canoe and get us to the villa (Aso Rock),” he said.
Nwosu commended members of the party’s NEC and NWC for their “sacrifice”.
However, Nwosu’s decision to transfer the party’s leadership to the Mark-led coalition group was opposed by some members of ADC, including Dumebi Kachikwu, its 2023 presidential candidate.
Kachikwu had argued that Nwosu’s term as ADC national chairman expired two years ago, adding that he lacked the authority to transfer the party’s leadership to the coalition.
BALA DECLARED SELF ADC NATIONAL CHAIRMAN
On July 30, 2025, Bala declared himself the national chairman of ADC at a press conference in Abuja.
He accused the David Mark-led leadership of unlawfully taking over the party and breaching its constitution.
He said “bonafide” party members would challenge the alleged takeover of the party in court.
In a statement released on August 1, 2025, Bala denied that he resigned as the deputy national chairman of the ADC.
He dismissed the letter purportedly showing his resignation as “entirely false, deceptive, malicious and fake”.
“I am writing to address a matter of utmost importance that has recently surfaced in the public domain, a fabricated letter of resignation purportedly authored by me, Nafiu Bala, dated 18 May 2025. This document, which has been circulated by certain mischievous elements within and outside our party, is entirely false and without merit,” Bala said.
THE LEGAL BATTLES
On September 2, 2025, Bala approached a federal high court in Abuja (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025), seeking to stop Mark-led ADC executives from parading themselves as party leaders.
He also sought an order to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising them and to compel recognition of himself as acting national chairman.
The motion ex parte was heard on September 4, 2025, and Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, directed that the respondents, including INEC, be put on notice to show cause why the motion should not be granted.
Dissatisfied with an interim ruling, Mark filed an appeal to challenge the jurisdiction of the federal high court to continue to hear Bala’s suit.
However, on March 12, 2026, the court of appeal dismissed Mark’s case in its entirety, holding that it was incompetent and unmeritorious.
The three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Uchechukwu Onyemenam, found that there was no substantive ruling by the federal high court on the ex parte application, as the trial judge merely ordered that parties be put on notice.
The court directed parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum and refrain from taking any action capable of undermining the proceedings before the trial court.
On Wednesday, INEC announced that it would no longer recognise the ADC factions led by Mark and Bala, following its review of the court of appeal judgement.
INEC said it would strictly abide by the orders of the court of appeal in handling the leadership dispute within the ADC.
But the Mark-led faction rejected INEC’s interpretation of the appellate court’s ruling, accusing the electoral body of acting under external pressure.
The development means that ADC presently has no leadership recognised by the INEC.
ATTEMPT TO GET COMMENT
TheCable reached out to Bala for his comment on his presence at the unveiling of the Mark-led ADC leadership.
When contacted by phone by The Cable News team, he answered, but the call ended immediately after the reporter asked a question. Subsequent calls were not answered.
Bala has yet to respond to text and WhatsApp messages.
