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By Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
One of the claimants to the National Chairmanship of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nafiu Bala Gombe, has asserted that the pending lawsuit relating to the party’s leadership is not merely an internal affair of the opposition party.
Gombe, speaking at a press briefing on Friday in Abuja, stated that the suit focuses on the ADC constitution and alleged infringements on his rights as a member of the party. The ADC has been embroiled in a leadership crisis following the resignation of former National Chairman, Ralphs Okey Nwosu. Gombe has laid claim to the leadership and recently filed a suit seeking to restrain the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Senator David Mark from parading themselves as party leaders.
On April 14, the Mark-led NWC held a National Convention in Abuja, where it announced the expulsion of Gombe and a member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, among others, for alleged anti-party activities.
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However, Gombe insisted that the convention was held in contravention of a court order. “There is a misconception that our case relates to internal party affairs. I wish to clarify that this matter is not an internal party affair,” he explained. “The case pending before Honourable Justice Emeka Nwite clearly concerns a breach of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Constitution and an infringement of my rights as a bona fide member of the party.”
He further argued that Senator David Mark and his associates have relied on Section 83(5) of the Electoral Act 2026 to avoid judicial scrutiny. “However, they appear unaware that the said section contains a proviso,” Gombe added. “Where a member’s rights are infringed upon or the party’s constitution is breached, the court is vested with jurisdiction to entertain and determine the suit.”
Hon. Leke Abejide, who represents the Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State in the House of Representatives, also dismissed the April 14 ADC National Convention as a nullity. Noting that the convention breached a valid court order, the lawmaker described his and Gombe’s expulsion as laughable.
“There is an existing court order from the Federal High Court and the Supreme Court, respectively, that they should not do anything pending the determination of the case in court,” Abejide said. “But to everybody’s amazement, these people flagrantly disobeyed the court and went and gathered in a place to hold an illegal convention. My so-called suspension is a contempt of the orders of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court.”
