A faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) loyal to the Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, has officially endorsed him as its sole flag bearer for the 2027 general elections, further widening the leadership crisis rocking the opposition Party.
The decision was reached on Sunday during the faction’s national convention held at the A-Class Event Centre in Abuja, where delegates also elected a new National Working Committee (NWC) to steer the Party’s affairs.
According to the Electoral Committee Chairman and ADC Benue State leader, Elias Adikwu, the delegates unanimously backed Kachikwu as the faction’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 polls.
At the same convention, the newly elected factional National Chairman, Abdulkadir Mohammed Bashir, formally presented the party’s flag to Kachikwu, describing him as the man entrusted with leading the ADC into the next presidential race.
The event also produced a new National Working Committee, with key positions filled across different geopolitical zones.
Those elected include Kingsley Oggah as Board of Trustees Chairman, Johnny Tovie Derek as Deputy National Chairman, Kennedy O. Odion as National Secretary, Joe Aroh as National Treasurer, Amirigoye as National Financial Secretary, Chris Ugwu as National Legal Adviser, Elias Adikwu as National Organising Secretary, and Patrick Ambut as National Chief Whip.
The latest development comes amid an intensifying power struggle within the ADC, which now has competing factions laying claim to the Party’s leadership structure.
A rival camp led by former Senate President, David Mark, had earlier held its own convention in Abuja on April 14, 2026, where it reportedly amended the Party constitution and declared Mark as substantive National Chairman.
That convention reportedly attracted over 1,000 delegates and prominent opposition figures, including former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, as part of efforts to build a coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Mark-led faction also announced the expulsion of several members, including factional chairman, Nafiu Bala and Rep. Leke Abejide, over alleged anti-party activities and court-related disputes.
Sunday’s move by the Kachikwu bloc is expected to further escalate the internal crisis, as both factions continue to assert control over the ADC’s leadership and direction ahead of the 2027 polls.
