The African Democratic Congress's internal feud escalated as state chairmen publicly endorsed the Independent National Electoral Commission's decision to remove David Mark's leadership faction. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Abia State ADC Chairman Don Norman Obinna confirmed the state chairmen had disassociated themselves from both the David Mark and Nafiu Bala Gombe factions during a Tuesday National Executive Committee meeting. Obinna, flanked by other state chairmen, declared full support for INEC's derecognition of the Mark-led group, asserting that the Dumebi Kachikwu-led leadership recognized by INEC remains the party's authentic and sole legal structure. "We are in total support of INEC in derecognizing the David Mark-led faction," Obinna stated. "ADC has no faction; we are the legal leadership." INEC had last week delisted the Mark faction, prompting the group to vow continued congresses and a convention planned for April 7–14, 2026.
Don Norman Obinna's blunt endorsement of INEC's delisting exposes how quickly party structures crumble when legitimacy hinges on external validation rather than internal consensus. For Nigerians watching, this signals that even high-profile defections—like that of a former Senate President—cannot override the electoral umpire's stamp, leaving loyalists scrambling to claim the party's future.
