Parallel Primaries and Factional Feuds Push ADC to the Brink of Collapse

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been thrown into an existential crisis following its fiercely contested primary elections, with intense internal power struggles threatening to permanently split the party's structure. The severe internal friction stems from a dramatic rise in political stakes as the party transitions from a minor player into a primary opposition platform. This transformation was ignited by a massive influx of high-profile opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and key loyalists from Peter Obi’s political bloc, who have flooded into a strategic alliance with the ADC to build a formidable front ahead of the 2027 general elections.

However, the rapid influx of heavyweights has triggered a chaotic battle for the soul of the party machinery, resulting in highly disputed delegate lists, parallel primary exercises, and a wave of aggressive legal threats from aggrieved aspirants. The post-primary fallout has divided the party into bitter rival factions, creating a direct clash between the established national leadership, which recently saw former Senate President David Mark take the reins during broader coalition negotiations, and breakaway regional groups vying to control who gets the party's official electoral tickets.

This deepening factional warfare has dragged both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary into the center of the dispute to determine the authentic leadership and flagbearers of the platform. With the courts now tasked with resolving the crisis, senior political analysts warn that the ongoing legal and structural warfare could completely derail the ADC's momentum, fracturing the fragile opposition alliance before it can even mount a unified challenge.