Former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has accused former Senate President, David Mark, and his allies of taking over the party through what he described as illegally constituted committees that displaced elected executives across the country.

Kachikwu made the allegation during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, a day after a Federal High Court in Abuja restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising congresses organised by the David Mark-led faction of the party.

The court also barred Mark and other key figures in the faction from interfering in the affairs and tenure of duly elected state executives pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Reacting to the ruling, Mark, through the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, insisted that the ADC would participate in the 2027 general elections, noting that the faction had already approached the appellate court and sought a stay of execution.

However, Kachikwu maintained that the crisis stemmed from what he described as a breach of the party’s constitution, which he said clearly vests the conduct of congresses and conventions in state chairmen.

According to him, the Mark-led group allegedly set up ad hoc committees that took over the functions of state structures and imposed preferred officials across various levels of the party.

He claimed the development triggered widespread discontent within the party, as several state executives were allegedly sidelined or removed without due process.

Kachikwu further alleged that some state chairmen who initially supported the faction later withdrew after realising they had been sidelined in the new arrangement.

He also referenced a Federal High Court ruling which, according to him, nullified the controversial congresses and described the process as flawed.

The ADC crisis is expected to take another turn as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on an appeal filed by the Mark faction challenging earlier decisions on the party’s leadership dispute.

Meanwhile, the faction loyal to Kachikwu insists it will resist any attempt to “hijack” the party, maintaining that the ADC remains intact and will feature prominently in the 2027 elections.