David Mark’s NWC reacts to alleged plot to hijack ADC

David Mark’s National Working Committee (NWC) says it is not planning to hijack the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The National Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by Interim National Chairman David Mark, has pledged to the state chairmen that they will be fully involved in the opposition coalition aiming to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.

The Committee gave the assurance at a strategic meeting held on Thursday between the ADC NWC, state chairmen, and selected stakeholders at the Abuja residence of the interim chairman.

Speaking after the Abuja meeting, the interim national spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, reaffirmed the party leadership’s commitment to closely collaborate with its state chapters.

He asserted that NWC has no intention of taking over the party and pushing out the state chairmen.

Abdullahi said, “We have invited all the state chairmen to this meeting to reassure them that we don’t have any intention to push them away. 37 state chairmen, including FCT, were present here.

“And the purpose is to dispel all kinds of falsehood and rumours that have been going around the country that we have come to take over this party from them and to push them away.

“We don’t have any intention to shove them off. We are here to work with them as partners to build a stronger political party. They are assured and they are going to leave Abuja today more confident than they were yesterday that they are partners in the building of this coalition.”

When asked about the remarks made by the party’s former presidential candidate who rejected the coalition and criticised the new ADC leadership, Abdullahi responded: “A presidential candidate is not an officer of the party.”

He said, “A presidential candidate is just someone, a member of the party. We are on solid legal ground.

“If anyone has any evidence to show that we have violated our own constitution, we are open to being challenged. No member of ADC has disagreed with the process so far.”

Commenting on the development, ADC Forum Chairman and Kogi State Chairman, Kingsley Ogga, claimed that they had no issues whatsoever with the party’s new leadership.

He said, “We have been in this process almost three years now. We have been carried along on what they are going to do, and how they are going to do it.

“We sat down together, we deliberated together. That is how we did it before we came to this particular point we are at now, the coalition.”

“Every one of us, everybody was carried along. We were all carried along and we were part of it. And we have also supported what is coming up now.”