A senior member of Nigeria’s African Democratic Congress (ADC) has publicly voiced deepening internal strife within the party, attributing the crisis to a recent coalition agreement that has created rival factions and parallel structures.
Leke Abejide, a member of the House of Representatives, stated during an interview on Channels Television’s “Political Paradigm” that the ADC was stable prior to the coalition’s formation. “Our party was very quiet before the issue of coalition came into place. Since the coalition started, we’ve been having issues,” Abejide said. He asserted that the party now effectively exists as two entities—the “coalition ADC” and the “original ADC”—both of which are engaged in litigation. “We have two ADCs now… So these are the two groups now in court, and we don’t know how it’s going to end,” he added.
Abejide positioned himself as a loyal stalwart, claiming he is the only federal lawmaker currently serving who was elected on an ADC ticket and has never defected from the party. “I am the only elected member of the ADC,” he stated. “Anybody you see in ADC today may have decamped to us recently… They were not elected on this platform; they were elected on different platforms.” He noted that many recent joiners arrived only in the preceding weeks, emphasizing his consistent electoral history with the ADC.
Separately, Abejide dismissed widespread reports of his expulsion, affirming that the party’s national leadership remains legitimate. “So, the issue of expulsion, nobody expelled me. My national chairman is still there, along with all our party executives,” he said. He also clarified the status of former Senate President David Mark, stating directly: “David Mark is not a member of our ADC.”
The comments highlight the severe internal discord threatening the ADC’s cohesion following its decision to join a broader political coalition. The emergence of two court-facing factions underscores a fundamental leadership dispute that could impact the party’s operations and electoral prospects. The unresolved legal battles and competing claims of authority create uncertainty for ADC members and supporters ahead of future political contests. The situation reflects the volatile impact coalition politics can have on smaller parties, with the ADC’s experience serving as a salient case study of organizational fracture in Nigeria’s dynamic political landscape. The outcome of the court cases will likely determine which faction, if any, retains control of the party’s name, structure, and resources.
