The crisis tearing through the African Democratic Congress worsened on Friday as the faction led by National Chairman Nafiu Bala Gombe and lawmaker Leke Abejide vehemently rejected their alleged expulsion, describing it illegal and the handiwork of a “hijacked structure.”
The embattled leaders also dismissed allegations linking them to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying such allegations were propaganda orchestrated to tarnish their image.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Bala fired back at the rival camp, insisting those who announced the expulsion lack legitimacy and are not even members of the party.
“Our suspension is a nullity. These individuals are not even members of our party, so they lack the locus to take such decisions…We will fight it to the last point”, he said.
He doubled down on his stance, ruling out any form of truce with the opposing bloc.
“I cannot negotiate with people who are not members of our party. There is no understanding or arrangement with them whatsoever,” Bala added.
The crisis comes from a controversial convention held in Abuja on April 14 by a coalition aligned with former Senate President David Mark, where Bala, Abejide, and others were reportedly expelled over alleged anti-party activities.
But Bala’s camp dismissed the exercise as unlawful, insisting it violated subsisting court orders and lacked recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He warned that actions taken in defiance of a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on March 12, 2026, could be nullified, alleging further that forged documents bearing his signature had surfaced to legitimise the rival faction’s moves.
Abejide, who represents Yagba Federal Constituency, described the expulsion as laughable and accused the opposing camp of plotting to destabilise the party.
“These are people who came to destroy this party. They have no stake here and cannot dictate the future of ADC,” he said.
He raised the stakes with a blistering warning about the party’s future if the crisis persists.
“I am not a political merchant running from one party to another party. I have been in ADC since 2017 and never changed party but many of the coalition leaders have moved from PDP to ACN to APC back to PDP to APGA to LABOUR PARTY to NPP to ADC, and so on. Our resistance in resisting them is because of their habitual character of Political use and dump.
“My so-called suspension and that of Hon Nafiu Bala Gombe is contempt of courts Orders of both Court of Appeal and Federal High Court and as such I have briefed my Lawyers on possible litigation against their purported suspension for record purpose, which is a visitation of hostility on me while my case is in Court. The principles of Law forbid this, in our jurisprudence is called Lis pendis.”
In a final warning shot, Abejide hinted that his camp could walk away if pushed further.
“At the stage we are now, if this is not resolved quickly, anyone contesting on this platform risks their political career”, he added.
He also warned that the ongoing turmoil could cripple the party’s ability to field candidates in future elections.
“If, at the end of these shenanigans, if ADC cannot field candidates, then the coalition people should be blamed for the failure,” he added.
