The internal crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has escalated into a high-stakes legal and political battle as prominent leaders of the party have vowed to resist their purported expulsion by a factional leadership. The Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Muhammad, and the member representing Yagba Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Honourable Leke Abejide, declared on Friday, April 17, 2026, that the actions taken by the “Mark-led faction” are “unconstitutional, null, and void.” This defiant stance follows an announcement by a group claiming authority within the National Working Committee (NWC), which sought to expel the duo for alleged “anti-party activities” and their public alignment with other political movements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The dispute stems from a deep-seated leadership struggle between the long-standing National Chairman, Chief Ralphs Okey Nwosu, and an emerging faction that seeks to “rebrand” the party as a primary vehicle for a “third-force” coalition. Senator Bala Muhammad, who has been a central figure in cross-party negotiations involving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), described his “expulsion” as the “desperate kick of a dying horse.” Supporting context from the party’s headquarters in Abuja indicates that the “Mark faction” reportedly led by a breakaway group of state chairmen is accusing the Governor and Honourable Abejide of attempting to “sell the party’s structures” to higher bidders. In response, Leke Abejide, a key financier of the party, maintained that his loyalty remains with the “authentic” ADC and that he would use every legal avenue to reclaim the party from “political mercenaries.”
Stakeholder reactions within the African Democratic Congress have been sharply divided, with several state chapters issuing conflicting statements of loyalty. The “Okey Nwosu Loyalists” have called for a “reconciliation summit,” warning that a fragmented ADC will have zero impact on the 2027 polls. Meanwhile, supporters of Governor Bala Muhammad in Bauchi have organized solidarity rallies, characterizing the expulsion as an “external plot” to weaken the Governor’s growing national influence. Legal representatives for the embattled leaders have already filed a “notice of stay” at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking to restrain the faction from acting on the expulsion pending the determination of the substantive leadership suit.
Political and legal analysts observe that the “ADC implosion” is a symptom of the “pre-election realignment fever” currently gripping Nigeria. Experts suggest that the party is being tugged between those who want to maintain its “independent identity” and those who view it as a “strategic merger tool.” Dr. Chima Amadi, a political scientist, noted that the inclusion of a sitting Governor like Bala Muhammad and a powerful legislator like Leke Abejide makes the ADC a “high-value target” for larger parties. He argued that the “factional war” is likely a proxy battle funded by external interests who want to ensure the ADC is either neutralized or fully co-opted before the 2027 primary season begins.
The broader implications of this “fight to the finish” point toward a protracted judicial intervention that may decide the fate of the party before the next Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline for party congresses. If the “Mark-led faction” succeeds in upholding the expulsion, it could trigger a mass exodus of the party’s most influential members, effectively leaving the ADC as an empty shell. Conversely, if Senator Bala Muhammad and Honourable Abejide win the legal battle, it could lead to a “total purge” of the current NWC. As the 2027 “political chess game” intensifies, the ADC crisis serves as a cautionary tale of the challenges facing smaller parties in an environment dominated by “political heavyweights.”
