The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating a leadership crisis within its ranks, following claims by Natu Bala, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, that he is now the party’s interim National Chairman.
Bala, who contested as the ADC’s governorship candidate in Bauchi State during the 2023 general elections, had earlier tendered his resignation from the party’s National Working Committee in May 2025.
In a resignation letter titled ‘Letter of Resignation as Deputy National Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC)’, made available to THISDAY, Bala wrote:
“I, Natu Bala, do hereby write to notify you of my resignation as a member of the National Working Committee of our great party, African Democratic Congress, with effect from 26 May 2025. My resignation is to make way for a smooth and effective coalition and restructuring. My resignation does not in any way mean that I am abandoning the party; so, I would be ready to serve in any other capacity I may be called upon in the future.”
However, in a dramatic turn of events, Bala later renounced his resignation, calling the recent leadership changes within the party a “shoddily rehearsed political melodrama that amounted to a total surrender of the party’s structure to external forces.”
He asserted that the ADC constitution provides a clear framework for succession and the filling of leadership vacancies, and on that basis, he declared himself interim National Chairman.
“In line with the party’s constitutional guidelines, I have assumed the role of interim national chairman,” Bala said, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise him as the legitimate leader of the party.
Reacting to Bala’s claims, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the development as part of a calculated plot by the APC to destabilise the opposition coalition.
“This is the handiwork of the APC.
It shows panic and desperation on the part of the ruling party,” Abdullahi told THISDAY.
“We anticipated all these and legally moved in the right direction. The National Working Committee was officially dissolved by the NEC of the party.
Thereafter, the same NEC approved the handing over to the David Mark-led coalition ADC as the National Chairman. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored all the decisions the coalition party took.”
Abdullahi insisted that the party’s internal processes, guided by its constitution and supervised by INEC, had already resolved the issue of leadership, and that Bala’s actions are politically motivated.
The ADC maintains that it remains focused on strengthening the coalition and offering Nigerians a credible alternative, despite what it sees as attempts by the ruling party to sow discord within its ranks.
