“I was present at the meeting” — Bala Gombe confirms attendance, clarifies role in ADC unveiling

Nafiu Bala, a factional national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has acknowledged that he attended the party’s July 2025 unveiling where a new interim leadership headed by David Mark emerged. He, however, maintained that the leadership arrangement was not the outcome of any agreed party process.

The ADC has been divided since mid-2025 following the emergence of an opposition coalition that assumed control of its structure. The development triggered competing claims to leadership between Bala’s faction and the group aligned with Mark. The dispute later escalated into legal battles, after which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) withdrew recognition from both sides, referencing a Court of Appeal ruling delivered on March 12.

Recent video footage circulating online shows Bala at the July 2, 2025 event held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, seated among other political figures during the coalition gathering. His presence at the meeting had been previously reported and independently verified by attendees.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Bala confirmed he was at the event but rejected the claim that it was convened to install new party leadership. According to him, the gathering was meant to formalise the ADC as a common platform for coalition partners.

He said the situation changed unexpectedly when the then National Chairman, Ralph Okey Nwosu, announced his resignation during the proceedings and proceeded to present membership cards to David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, while declaring them interim national chairman and national secretary respectively.

Bala argued that the action was not consistent with the party’s constitution, citing provisions he said require a defined process for leadership transition. He stated that no vote or consensus preceded the announcement and that members of the National Working Committee were not informed in advance.

He also noted that several officials, including himself, were taken aback by the development. According to him, the then national secretary, Sa’id Baba Abdullahi, resigned shortly after the announcement, citing unclear circumstances surrounding the process.

Bala maintained that his participation in the meeting and earlier coalition discussions should not be interpreted as approval of what he described as an irregular leadership change.