A fresh leadership crisis is emerging within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as a faction of the party has formally petitioned the United States Embassy Abuja, accusing certain members of attempting to seize control of the party and undermine its internal democratic processes.
The faction, led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, is urging the United States to consider imposing sanctions—including visa restrictions—on individuals allegedly involved in what it described as an unconstitutional takeover of the party’s leadership.
In the petition addressed to the embassy, Gombe, who claims to be the legitimate leader of the party, alleged that some unnamed politicians violated the ADC’s constitution and failed to follow due process.
He explained that the dispute followed the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Okey Nwosu, along with other members of the National Working Committee (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 recognize 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.”
In the petition, Gombe called on the United States to take note of what he described as “anti-democratic practices” within the party.
He said the move was aimed at safeguarding internal democracy and ensuring adherence to due process within Nigeria’s political system.
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.”
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