The internal crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) worsened on Tuesday as factions within the party traded fresh accusations over leadership and legitimacy, further complicating the fallout from recent actions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).At the centre of the dispute is a growing power struggle between rival groups, each laying claim to the party’s leadership. Tensions escalated after a faction appeared on national television, announcing that it had convened a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and endorsing INEC’s decision to suspend engagement with the party—claims swiftly rejected by the opposing camp.Reacting to the development, Queen Okiyi, who speaks for the camp aligned with former Senate President David Mark, dismissed the rival group’s actions as illegitimate and driven by self-interest.“They’ve been bought over,” she alleged, accusing some members of abandoning party discipline for personal gain.According to Okiyi, those involved are largely state chairmen whose conduct had previously come under scrutiny, adding that their latest actions amount to an attempt to destabilise the party.“The ADC is built on discipline. You cannot claim membership and at the same time act in defiance of its constitution,” she said.She insisted that the Mark-led structure would not condone indiscipline or tolerate actions capable of undermining the party’s internal order.Okiyi further linked the current dispute to earlier disciplinary measures, alleging that some members of the rival camp had previously been sanctioned over misconduct, including the alleged sale of party assets and unauthorised financial dealings.“When the party took action against them, they refused to accept it and have continued to parade themselves as leaders,” she stated.She also suggested that the group’s latest position may have been influenced by interests tied to a former presidential candidate of the party, claiming this had further compromised their stance.Meanwhile, the opposing faction maintains that its NEC meeting was valid and has thrown its weight behind INEC’s position, a development that has deepened divisions within the party and heightened uncertainty over its leadership structure.The ongoing standoff underscores a widening rift within the ADC, raising concerns about the party’s cohesion and readiness ahead of future political contests.
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