The crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deepened on Tuesday as state chairmen of the party issued a scathing condemnation of a coalition led by former Senate President, Senator David Mark.

In a statement jointly signed by the forum leader, Elias Adokwu, and Publicity Secretary, Godwin Alaku, titled “Rejecting the Political Junta by Defending ADC and Nigeria’s Democracy Against Subversion,” the chairmen described the development as a “blatant and reckless subversion” of both the party and Nigeria’s democratic principles.

The statement reads, “The Concerned State Chairmen of the ADC condemn in the strongest terms this orchestrated political coup by a coalition led by Senator David Mark. This represents not only an aberration of democratic norms but also a grave assault on our collective political values as a nation.”

Naijaonpoint reports that the chairmen accused the coalition of plotting an unconstitutional hijack of the ADC through “manipulation and backdoor dealings,” warning that the move was a mere disguise for selfish ambition.

“This is not a realignment of ideology but a civilian junta attempting to seize control outside legal and democratic processes,” they stated.

They further described the attempted takeover as “an insult to all those who believe in and have laboured for democratic governance in Nigeria,” alleging that the group’s actions aimed to fracture the democratic process through “selfish ambition and extra-party inducements.”

Reaffirming their commitment to upholding democratic values and the rule of law, the ADC chairmen stressed that the party would never be used as a vehicle for “political mercenaries or ideological impostors.”

The statement further read, “The ADC is not for sale, not for hijack, and certainly not a dumping ground for discredited power brokers.”

They challenged coalition members to reveal their true electoral worth, questioning their ability to genuinely contribute to Nigeria’s democracy.

The chairmen also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject any attempt to legitimise what they termed an “illegitimate junta.”

They called on civil society and Nigerians at large to resist what they described as “creeping authoritarianism”. They demanded that law enforcement agencies investigate the alleged unlawful bid to destabilise the party.

The chairmen added, “We, the legitimate custodians of the ADC structure across all states of the federation, reject this illegitimate junta. We consider it our patriotic duty to defend the soul of the ADC and protect the sanctity of democratic structures in Nigeria.”