How Nafiu Bala Gombe plunged ADC into Deep Crisis

By Emmanuel Kwada

Nigeria’s opposition political landscape has been plunged into significant uncertainty following a decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on April 1, 2026, to remove the names of Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from its official records as National Chairman and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), respectively.

The commission also declined to recognize a rival claimant, Nafiu Bala Gombe, and stated that it would no longer monitor or accept official correspondence from any faction of the party until the substantive leadership dispute is resolved by the Federal High Court.

From left: General Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, National Chairman Senator David Mark, Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, during a world press conference in Abuja.

The development has triggered sharp accusations from the ADC that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is orchestrating a deliberate effort to weaken viable opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Senator David Mark, addressing a high-profile world press conference on April 2 at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, described INEC’s action as a direct assault on democracy and demanded the immediate resignation or sack of INEC Chairman Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan and all National Commissioners.

Senator Mark opened with a grave reflection on the state of Nigerian democracy:  “Since 1999, Nigeria has been under democratic rule. After 27 years, we thought we could proudly celebrate the entrenchment of democracy, believing that the country’s dictatorial past has receded into history. Our experience in the past three years or so since President Bola Tinubu came to power has however confirmed otherwise.

Democracy is only sustained by the quality of freedom that it offers and guarantees, especially the freedom to choose, the freedom to participate.

“In the past three years, we have witnessed a relentless assault on these very freedoms. The agenda is very clear, to create a situation where, in 2027, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerges as the only option left for the people, despite the widespread suffering and wanton killings going on across the country.

“Democracy is only sustained by the quality of freedom that it offers and guarantees, especially the freedom to choose, the freedom to participate, and the freedom to associate. These freedoms are so critical to democracy that without them, democracy dies.”

He accused the government of deliberately fostering poverty and insecurity to justify clinging to power: “The twin challenge of deepening poverty, and worsening security situation in the country did not just happen. They are direct consequences of the failure of this government. They know that Nigerians will not want this to continue. They know Nigerians will vote them out. This is why they would do anything to hang on to power by hook or crook.”

They know Nigerians will vote them out. This is why they would do anything to hang on to power by hook or crook.

On the formation of the opposition coalition and the July 29, 2025 NEC meeting, Mark stressed procedural integrity:  “The coalition of opposition parties came about as a result of a collective search for democratic freedom… We did our due diligence. We fulfilled all the party’s constitutional requirements…

“A NEC meeting was convened on July 29th, 2025, monitored by INEC officials. One of the conclusions of that NEC meeting was the dissolution of the National Working Committee of the party, and the ratification of a caretaker committee to take over the affairs of the party, with my humble self, David Mark, as the National Chairman; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the National Secretary.”

Addressing Nafiu Bala Gombe’s role, he stated:  “One of the officials in the dissolved NWC was Nafiu Bala, who was one of the Deputy National Chairmen of the party. It is on record that Gombe resigned this position on 17th May, 2025.

“His resignation was also duly transmitted to INEC on the 12th of August, 2025. Regardless of his resignation, he decided to approach the courts on September 2nd, 2025, four clear months after his resignation, seeking to be recognised as the Chairman of the ADC.”

INEC website showing the changes made with respect to ADC leadership.

Reacting to INEC’s decision to withdraw recognition from both factions, Mark was uncompromising: “It was therefore to our surprise, yesterday, 1st of April, that INEC issued a press statement after the close of business hours, announcing that it had decided to withdraw recognition for both the ADC leadership, which I head, and the fictitious one purportedly led by Nafiu Bala, thereby creating a false equivalence between the parties…

“INEC cannot choose to fix the status quo from the day it took the administrative action to upload the names of the new ADC officials on its website, because INEC does not have the power to determine for any political party who its leaders should be.

“The electoral umpire has taken sides. It can no longer be trusted… With its action, this INEC has left no one in doubt that it has chosen the path of dishonour and has become complicit in undermining Nigeria’s democracy.”

With 90% of the National Assembly and over 30 of Nigeria’s 36 Governors in the APC, President Tinubu, what are you afraid of?

He issued a pointed challenge to President Tinubu: “I also speak directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: with 90% of the National Assembly and over 30 of Nigeria’s 36 Governors in the APC, President Tinubu, what are you afraid of? If you are convinced that you have done well for the people who voted for you, why are you afraid of a free, fair, and transparent electoral contest? If you are indeed the democrat that you claim to be, why are you bent on destroying all opposition political parties?”

Mark concluded with firm demands: “Our demand is therefore clear: We demand the immediate resignation or sack of the INEC Chairman, Professor Amupitan, and all the National Commissioners. We no longer have confidence in them. We are convinced that they are incapable of conducting any credible election.

“This INEC under Professor Joash Amupitan will be held directly responsible for whatever actions or reactions that follow this criminal path that it has chosen to take… We are proceeding with our party programmes, because there is nothing under the law that makes INEC’s attendance, a mandatory requirement.”

We are convinced that they are incapable of conducting any credible election.

Former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu alleged external sabotage through massive funding: “It’s something that’s completely ridiculous and if we didn’t address it, it would give the very wrong impression and we needed to address it. I believe now that we’ve addressed it, I want to believe that within the next 24 hours, INEC must go back and do the needful. Otherwise, they’re creating a big war.

“A big war with Nigerians, not with ADC. They have this big budget that they call anti-coalition budget and the anti-coalition budget is running to hundreds of billions and so on. That’s what is causing this problem.”

Nwosu maintained the leadership’s legitimacy and vowed continuity of party activities: “Nothing has happened to the leadership. The leadership is intact and we’ve directed all our members to continue with the activities. We’re doing registration. We’re doing our congresses and we’re going to do our national convention.

Nafiu Bala Gombe

“INEC come or don’t come, we are going to carry the same process and take over the villa… If Tinubu doesn’t answer our clarion call for him to remove the chairman of INEC, we don’t mind. It’s good that this happened now. He’s sure that the moment we take over power and so on, which must happen because the ADC has become the vehicle of the citizens.”

ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi responded sharply to INEC’s position, accusing the commission of succumbing to pressure: “We reject INEC’s interpretation of the Court of Appeal ruling. We knew that INEC was being pressured by a government that has become jittery from the ADC’s rising momentum, even in the face of its relentless assault on all opposition parties… INEC’s press statement is full of contradictions that fly in the face of both facts and reason.”

He accused the commission of bias and intimidation: “Today, INEC has been bamboozled. INEC has been intimidated. INEC has succumbed to intimidation and they are determined to coronet President Bola Tinubu… We don’t trust INEC. INEC has shown its hand that it is biased.”

We don’t trust INEC. INEC has shown its hand that it is biased.

On the party’s planned activities, Abdullahi was unequivocal: “We have given INEC 21 days’ notice. They have accepted the notice. So whether they come or not, we’ll continue with our congresses. And we will go on with our convention.”

INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) defended the commission’s actions in a detailed television interview, stressing adherence to the Court of Appeal’s orders. Explaining the key legal term, he said: “If they (ADC) are saying we have taken sides, that is not true, because if you look at the status quo ante bellum, we tried to interrogate it, and it means the status before the hostility started, the status before the war… the status when things were peaceful, the peaceful conduct until the controversy came.

“There are several authorities that say the status before the war. And the status quo is even different from status quo ante bellum.”

He described the commission’s dilemma after receiving conflicting letters: “On the 16th day of March, 2026, I received two letters. One from the solicitors of Senator David Mark’s group… And on that same day, I also received another letter from Summit Chambers, the solicitors to Nafiu Bala… I call a meeting of the legal department and the EPM. And we look at the facts based on the judgment.”

Nafiu Bala’s letter dated May 17, 2025, allegedly informing the party leadership of his decision to step down from the National Working Committee.

Amupitan highlighted the Court of Appeal’s preservatory orders: “The Court of Appeal said parties should not do anything that will render the proceedings negatory or force a situation of failure to comply on the trial court.

“When they gave that notice to go ahead with the congress and convention, I said that will be breaching that part of the order of the Court of Appeal… So given the fact that they are informing me that they are going to hold their congress… on the 9th of April… we felt it would be necessary to look at the complaint of all the parties.”

He added that the commission must allow the Federal High Court to decide the substantive issues without any party creating a fait accompli.

Nafiu Bala Gombe: The Man at the Centre

Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, a lawyer and the former ADC governorship candidate for Gombe State in the 2023 general elections, has found himself at the heart of the ongoing leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In July 2025, following the resignation of the then National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, Gombe declared himself the Interim National Chairman. He anchored his claim on the party’s constitution, which he says empowers the remaining Deputy National Chairman to step in and assume leadership in such circumstances. Before this national crisis, Gombe’s profile was relatively low outside Gombe State, with his most prominent public role being his bid for the governorship in 2022/2023.

Gombe has consistently maintained that he never resigned as Deputy National Chairman. He has described the resignation letter circulating in the public domain reportedly dated around May 2025 as forged, complete with a doctored signature.

Prof. Joash Amupitan INEC Chairman

He further asserts his legitimacy under the ADC constitution: “As the acting national chairman of the party, I am not aware of any division… By virtue of our party constitution, when the national chairman voluntarily resigns his position, the constitution automatically gives me the power to take over as acting national chairman pending the next national convention.”

According to the Mark-led faction, records show that Gombe tendered his resignation from the position of Deputy National Chairman on 17 May 2025 (effective 26 May 2025), and the letter was duly communicated to INEC on 12 August 2025.

However, on 2 September 2025 shortly after a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and before INEC uploaded the new leadership details Gombe approached the Federal High Court, seeking recognition as the party’s legitimate leader and challenging the validity of the Mark-led executive.

The Court of Appeal directed an accelerated hearing of the substantive suit, instructed all parties including INEC to maintain the status quo ante bellum, and warned against any actions that could create a fait accompli or render the trial court’s eventual judgment ineffective.

We have given INEC 21 days’ notice.

The Latin phrase “status quo ante bellum” means “the state that existed before the war” or, in this context, the situation that prevailed before the current dispute erupted. Practically, it refers to the state of the party’s leadership prior to the filing of Gombe’s suit on 2 September 2025.

INEC interpreted this order to mean that its upload of the Mark-led team’s names on 9 September 2025 (which happened after the suit had commenced) should be reversed, restoring the pre-litigation position.

The commission has emphasised that it received conflicting demands from both factions after the Court of Appeal ruling and has chosen a cautious approach to avoid prejudicing the main case. This includes declining to monitor upcoming party congresses and the proposed national convention.

The Federal High Court is expected to hear the substantive suit on an accelerated basis as directed by the Court of Appeal. Both factions have signalled their intention to proceed with congresses and conventions, setting the stage for further legal and political confrontation.

This deepening crisis continues to raise serious questions about internal party democracy, the role of INEC in intra-party disputes, and the prospects for building a credible, united opposition capable of mounting a serious challenge in the 2027 general elections.

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