By ALO 360 Editorial Board
On Sunday, May 24, while members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark prepared for the party’s nationwide presidential primaries, news broke that another faction loyal to Dumebi Kachikwu had held a separate convention in Abuja.
At the convention, the faction dissolved the party’s national working committee (NWC) led by Mark and announced a new leadership structure. The group named Kingsley Oggah as chairman of its board of trustees and Abdulqadir Bashir as national chairman. It also adopted Kachikwu as its consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Without doubt, the ADC has become engulfed in a leadership crisis, with multiple blocs laying claim to the party. Earlier, Nufia Bala Gombe dragged the Mark-led faction before the federal high court in Abuja, claiming to be the duly elected national chairman of the party. The matter proceeded to the court of appeal, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain the status quo ante bellum.
INEC interpreted the ruling by derecognising the Mark-led faction, thereby creating a leadership vacuum within the party. The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which set aside the appeal court judgment and directed all parties to return to the lower court for the determination of the substantive suit.
That judgment paved the way for INEC to recognise the Mark-led faction pending the final resolution of the case. It is therefore shocking that another faction, fully aware of the Supreme Court ruling, still went ahead to organise a parallel convention, announce a new NWC and adopt a presidential candidate. That is nothing short of political rascality and blatant disregard for due process and the authority of the courts.
The ADC is not alone in this confusion.
LABOUR PARTY
In the Labour Party (LP), the faction led by Julius Abure continues to operate despite a court judgment stating clearly that his tenure had expired and recognising the faction led by Nenadi Usman as the authentic leadership of the party. Although INEC now receives official communication from the Usman-led leadership, the Abure faction still lays claim to the party in open defiance of the courts.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is also trapped in a similar crisis. Following the Supreme Court ruling that nullified the Ibadan convention which produced Kabiru Turaki as chairman, the faction loyal to Nyesom Wike has continued to insist that the judgment favours them. Yet, the same court upheld the suspension of Samuel Anyanwu, meaning actions taken by him remain questionable. Predictably, each faction now interprets the judgment to suit its political interests.
Even the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite avoiding open leadership litigation, is not totally insulated from this imbroglio. Across many states, imposition is cleverly disguised as “consensus”. Where aspirants refuse to step down, the person is presented with Hobbson’s choice of direct primaries, where the preferred candidate almost always emerges victorious.
Taken together, these developments have exposed the hollow nature of internal democracy in Nigeria’s political parties. What should be institutions built on ideology, discipline and democratic competition have instead become platforms controlled by powerful individuals, godfathers, and opportunists.
IMPLICATION
This chaotic party politics comes with a huge cost for democracy and its institutions.
When political parties become lawless, democracy itself becomes weakened. Political parties are the foundation of democratic governance and if they cannot obey their own constitutions, respect court judgments, or conduct credible internal elections, then the larger electoral process is compromised from the start.
These endless crises also erode public trust in politics. Young Nigerians already see politics as a dirty game reserved for the powerful and connected. When court judgments are ignored and candidates are imposed through manipulation, citizens lose faith in democratic participation. Voter apathy then increases because people begin to believe their voices do not matter.
Weak internal democracy can only produce weak leadership. Candidates who emerge through imposition or factional arrangements often feel accountable only to political godfathers rather than the electorate. Governance then becomes about settling political interests instead of serving the people.
The danger is even greater in a country already battling ethnic tension, insecurity and economic hardship. A fractured political system creates uncertainty, fuels instability and weakens national cohesion. If political parties cannot manage their own affairs democratically, how can they convincingly promise to govern a complex country like Nigeria?
Political parties must return to the basics of democratic culture: respect for party constitutions, transparent primaries, obedience to court rulings and ideological clarity. INEC must also stop behaving like a passive observer whenever parties descend into chaos. The commission must insist on compliance with the law and punish violations where necessary.
Democracy is not merely about conducting elections every four years. It begins with credible political parties. Without that foundation, elections become empty rituals and governance becomes an extension of political survival.
Nigeria cannot continue on this dangerous path.
