A leadership crisis is again brewing in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following the petition filed with the United States embassy in Abuja by a faction, which accused some members of trying to take control of the party and undermine internal democratic processes.
Led by Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, the faction is asking the US to consider imposing sanctions, including visa restrictions, on individuals allegedly involved in the ‘unconstitutional’ takeover of the party’s leadership.
In the complaint sent to the embassy, Gombe, who said he is the real leader of the party, alleged that some unnamed politicians broke the party’s rules and did not follow the proper steps.
He stated that the incident occurred after the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, along with other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) last June.
An interim national leadership, led by a former Senate President David Mark, was then constituted in place of the Nwosu-led NWC.
Gombe stated in the petition: ‘I am writing to you in my capacity as the Authentic National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). I want to highlight a serious issue within our party that we think is putting the democratic process and the rule of law in Nigeria at risk.
‘As a symbol of democracy and a guardian of constitutional processes around the world, we are asking the embassy to recognise the situation and take action against the undemocratic takeover of our party.
‘Our complaint stems from the evident breach of the ADC Constitution due to the voluntary resignations of our former National Chairman, Mr. Ralph Okey Nwosu and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
‘When the National Chairman position becomes empty, the Deputy National Chairman must take over to keep things running smoothly. Following the resignations, I, Hon. Nafiu Bala, remained the sole and only National Deputy Chairman who did not resign. So, by law and following the proper steps, it was my duty as a leader to take charge of the party’s matters.
‘Therefore, by constitutional right and due process, the mantle of leadership fell on me to steer the affairs of the party.
‘However, our rightful journey toward leadership has been blocked by outside political forces, including power seekers from different political parties.
‘These people are trying to take control of the ADC and become leaders without following our party’s rules or proper procedures. We have taken our case to court to fight for justice and show that we are following our party’s rules, but our opponents have used propaganda instead.
‘They are falsely claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is supporting and using the courts to suppress their ambitions. To be clear and to make sure there’s no confusion, we want to say directly that we have no connection, relationship, or link with President Tinubu or his political party, the All Progressives Congress’.
Gombe asked the US to pay attention to what he called ‘anti-democratic practices’ inside the party.
He said that the petition was meant to protect democratic practices within the party and ensure that the law is followed properly in Nigeria.
He added: ‘We respectfully request that should these undemocratic elements succeed in seizing our party leadership through unconstitutional means, the United States should consider imposing sanctions against them.
‘We specifically ask for the removal or rejection of any special rights, like visas or diplomatic treatment, that are usually given to real democrats and democratic leaders.
‘Such actions would show clearly that the international community will not accept undermining the party’s internal democracy and the country’s constitutional procedures.
‘We appreciate your ongoing support in encouraging and nurturing younger democracies to establish good governance worldwide. We hope you will take our appeal seriously and act quickly, as it is important for fairness and the future of democracy in Nigeria’.
