The crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has taken a fresh twist as former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, launched a blistering attack on the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, over the controversial appointment of caretaker committees across the 36 states.
Dalung accused Aregbesola of unilaterally issuing appointment letters to members of the caretaker committees despite ongoing litigation over the party’s leadership structure, warning that the move could plunge the opposition party into deeper legal and political turmoil ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former minister, who expressed his displeasure in a video shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday, alleged that the appointments were made in disregard of pending proceedings before the Supreme Court.
According to him, the development raises serious questions about the commitment of the ADC leadership to the rule of law and the party’s preparedness to participate in the 2027 elections.
Dalung alleged that some of those appointed to the caretaker committees were individuals whose previous positions had been affected by Court of Appeal decisions, adding that appeals against the judgments were still pending before the apex court.
Describing the development as an attempt to pre-empt the judiciary, he warned that the party could be undermining its own legal battle by proceeding with the planned inauguration of the committees.
He said: “This action of the party is intended to undermine the integrity of the judiciary and pre-empt the decision on the matter before your lordships at the Supreme Court.”
Dalung consequently called on the ADC leadership to suspend Wednesday’s planned inauguration and withdraw the appointment letters pending the determination of the matter by the Supreme Court.
In a further criticism of Aregbesola, the former minister questioned why the appointment letters were signed solely by the national secretary without the endorsement of the national chairman.
He argued that appointments involving individuals entrusted with managing the affairs of the party across the states should follow established administrative procedures rather than what he described as a unilateral decision.
The former minister also disclosed that he had repeatedly advised against the appointments, insisting that the party leadership should exercise restraint instead of taking decisions capable of worsening its internal crisis.
Warning of the possible consequences, Dalung said the ADC risked inflicting serious damage on itself if it proceeded with the inauguration and subsequently suffered an unfavourable Supreme Court judgment.
He described any resulting setback as a self-inflicted injury, insisting that the party could not challenge a judicial decision in court while simultaneously taking steps that appeared to disregard the same legal process.
Dalung further warned that the ADC could pay dearly for the decision, urging its leadership to withdraw the appointment letters and allow the Supreme Court to determine the outstanding legal dispute.
His intervention has added another dimension to the growing internal tensions within the ADC, raising fresh questions about the party’s leadership cohesion, internal democracy and readiness to emerge as a credible opposition platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.