A fresh twist has emerged in the lingering leadership tussle within the African Democratic Congress, as the Nafiu Bala Gombe-led faction on Tuesday disowned a viral video alleging that its national convention in Abuja ended in embarrassment.
The video, widely circulated on social media, claimed that the “venue slated for the national convention of the Nafiu Bala-led faction” at the Moshood Abiola International Stadium was deserted, with no delegates, officials or signs of activity at the time the event was scheduled to begin.
Footage from the clip showed an empty facility, fueling speculation about internal disarray within the party and raising questions over the legitimacy of parallel leadership claims that have dogged the ADC in recent months.
But in a swift response, the faction dismissed the video as fabricated, describing it as part of a coordinated propaganda effort by political opponents.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the Chief of Staff to the National Chairman, Bala Kumo, clarified that the Gombe-led leadership had neither announced nor sanctioned any elective convention.
He said, “The said video, produced by agents of the coalition’s propaganda machinery, makes reference to a purported elective convention of the ADC allegedly conducted at the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola International Stadium, Abuja.
“For purposes of clarity and to set the record straight, the ADC under the national leadership of Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe has not, at any time, issued a notice of an elective convention to its members, nor has it authorised any such gathering.”
The development comes amid an ongoing legal battle over the party’s leadership, which has deepened factional divides ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.
Continuing, Kumo stressed that the party remains committed to due process, constitutionalism, and the rule of law, noting that it would await the outcome of an ongoing legal matter before the Federal High Court as well as a related appeal before the Supreme Court.
“As a responsible and law-abiding political party that upholds the tenets of due process, constitutionalism, and the rule of law, the ADC shall await the determination of the suit currently pending before the Federal High Court and the related appeal before the Supreme Court. The matter has been adjourned to 22nd April 2026.
“We remain confident in the judicial process and optimistic that the judgment of the Court will affirm our position. Upon delivery of the said judgment, the party shall, through its official and recognised channels, duly communicate the approved schedule of activities to our esteemed members and the general public,” he stated.
With the court’s verdict now imminent, attention is expected to shift to how the judgment could reshape the ADC’s internal structure and its readiness to participate in the next round of national elections.