The 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, on Wednesday intensified his attack on a rival faction of the party led by former Senate President David Mark, describing them as “political buccaneers” whose alleged attempt to take over the party structure has collapsed.
Kachikwu, who addressed journalists in Abuja, said a recent Federal High Court judgment in Maitama had vindicated his long-standing warning that certain individuals were attempting to hijack the ADC through what he called “kangaroo congresses and conventions.”
“The ADC is not for sale. Those who tried to hijack our party have been shown the way out through the same back door they came in,” he said.
Citing the ruling, Kachikwu noted that Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court nullified the disputed congresses conducted by the Mark-led group, describing them as lacking legal foundation.
He said the court held that the group had no locus standi to convene party congresses and that, in the absence of a valid national leadership structure, the state chairmen who constitute the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) remain the legitimate authority to conduct congresses at all levels.
“The court made it clear that the so-called congresses were invalid. Those who attempted to impose themselves on the party have been checked by the rule of law,” he said.
Kachikwu added that the judgment had exposed what he termed “desperado politics,” insisting that attempts to destabilise the party had failed.
“These desperados have failed woefully. We hear they are already shopping for other parties to destabilise—we wish them bon voyage,” he said.
Despite the internal disputes, he maintained that the ADC would remain on the ballot in 2027, stressing that preparations for the next general election were ongoing.
“The battle is not over until it is over. But one thing is clear—the ADC will be on the ballot, and it remains a ready home for Nigerians who genuinely want to salvage this country,” he said.
Kachikwu also reiterated that his political movement was driven by ideology rather than coalition politics, adding that Nigeria required a “fundamental reset” of its political direction.