Melaye Accuses ADC Chairman of Selling Out in Leadership Dispute

Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye has accused Nafiu Bala, the embattled factional National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), of commercializing his conscience in a leadership dispute that has divided the party.

Melaye made the allegation during an interview with Arise Television on Wednesday night, asserting that Bala was present at a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on July 29, 2025, where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ratified the leadership of the party’s interim national chairman, David Mark, and other officials including Rauf Aregbesola.

According to Melaye, the NEC meeting was monitored by INEC, and Bala participated in the session that formally endorsed the new leadership structure. He further claimed that in August 2025, the party wrote to INEC confirming that Mark and Aregbesola were now occupying their positions, with INEC acknowledging receipt of the communication.

“From May 29, David Mark authentically became the National Chairman because the NEC is the highest decision-making body of the party,” Melaye stated. “Nafiu went to court on September 2, 2025. Meanwhile, the ratification of David Mark by INEC was done before September.”

Melaye emphasized that prior to September 2, Mark was the legitimate chairman of ADC, and that Bala had resigned from his position on May 17, 2025. He accused Bala of attempting to lay claim to a leadership role he had previously endorsed and then relinquished.

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions within the ADC, with competing factions seeking control over the party’s direction ahead of future electoral contests. INEC’s involvement in monitoring and ratifying leadership changes underscores the regulatory body’s role in overseeing internal party processes in Nigeria.

The case continues to unfold as legal and political battles over the party’s leadership intensify.