By Damilola Omosebi
A bewildering political heist is unfolding in plain sight. The African Democratic Congress (ADC), once a beacon of grassroots hope, now resembles a vessel commandeered by desperate political IDPs (Internally Displaced Politicians) fleeing sinking ships. This exclusive investigation reveals a brazen takeover attempt, fiercely contested by the party’s authentic structures, who declare it “null and void” as the true leadership battle rages in court.
- The Hijack: A Midnight Coup in Broad Daylight
The Actors: High-profile defectors, recently ejected or marginalized from major parties (PDP, APC), seeking instant relevance.
The Method: Exploiting internal ADC disputes and leveraging financial muscle to install a purported “National Working Committee” (NWC) without due process or valid convention. - 🚨 The Smoking Gun: A hastily convened meeting in May 2024, boycotted by key ADC founding figures and state chapters, declared a new “leadership.” No credible delegates list was produced. Minutes remain shrouded in secrecy.
- 💸 The Fuel: Allegations of massive financial inducements to a small faction of former officials facing internal disciplinary procedures. “They came with bags of cash, not party ideology,” fumes a suspended ADC state chairman (name withheld for safety).
- ADC’s Anguished Cry: “It’s Before the Court!”
While the hijackers parade on national TV, the authentic ADC heartbeat pulses in courtrooms and state secretariats, bewildered and furious. - ⚖️ The Legal Anchor: Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/_/2024 (details withheld per legal counsel advice) remains LIVE AND PENDING before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. This suit fundamentally challenges the legitimacy of the processes leading to any recent national convention or NWC election.
- 📢 Official ADC Stance (Authentic Faction): “The matter of ADC’s legitimate National Leadership is sub judice – it is actively before a court of competent jurisdiction. Any claims to leadership outside the recognition of the court-sanctioned processes are NULL, VOID, AND OF NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER. This is a criminal hijack attempt by political buccaneers.” – Barrister Manzo Ibrahim, Spokesperson (Authentic ADC Faction).
- 😤 The Emotional Toll: “We built this party from scratch, ward by ward. To see these strangers, these political refugees with no stake in our struggles, just waltz in and claim ownership… it’s heartbreaking. It’s betrayal. We feel violated.” – Hon. Patricia Olu, ADC Women Leader (South West).
The Hijackers’ Playbook: Manufactured Legitimacy & Media Blitz
Facing the inconvenient truth of ongoing litigation, the usurpers deploy classic political subterfuge:
- 🗣️ The Loudhailer Strategy: Saturate media platforms with pronouncements, press releases, and photo-ops featuring the “new” leadership. Volume replaces validity.
🤝 The “Stakeholder” Charade: Showcase ,endorsements from a handful of compromised former officials and newly recruited defectors, presenting them as the “authentic voice” of ADC. Ignore the silent majority of aggrieved members. - :⏳ The Race Against Time: Frantically seek INEC recognition before the court rules, hoping to create irreversible “facts on the ground.” Pressure state chapters to recognize them or face exclusion.
- 🎯 The Endgame: Use ADC as a ready-made platform – complete with INEC registration – for the hijackers’ own ambitions in the next election cycle. ADC becomes a lifeboat, not a cause.
- Why This Matters: Democracy Poisoned at the Root
This isn’t just an ADC problem; it’s a malignant tumor on Nigerian democracy: - 🔨 Subverts Internal Democracy: Makes a mockery of party constitutions and due process. Signals that any party can be bought or seized by the highest bidder.
- ❓ Undermines Voter Trust: How can citizens believe in parties when their leadership can be swapped overnight by external forces? It breeds cynicism and apathy.
- ⚖️ Contempt for the Judiciary: Brazenly acting while a critical leadership case is sub judice shows utter disregard for the rule of law and judicial authority.
- 🔥 Kills Ideological Parties: Turns principled platforms like ADC into mere vehicles for opportunists, destroying their unique identity and purpose.
- The Looming Reckoning: Court Gavel vs. Political Gunslingers
The fate of ADC hangs in the balance, suspended between a courtroom drama and a political street fight. - The Authentic ADC’s Lifeline: Their unwavering stance rests on the final judgment of the court*l. They urge INEC, the media, and the public to disregard the “purported leadership” until the court speaks definitively. “Let the law decide, not the loudest or the richest,” pleads a senior ADC founding member.
- The Hijackers’ Gamble: They bet on speed, confusion, and the slow wheels of justice. Can they secure INEC recognition and consolidate power before the court delivers a potentially fatal blow?
- The People’s Bewilderment: Rank-and-file ADC members, the true owners, watch in stunned silence and growing anger. Their party, their hope, has become a battleground for political mercenaries. The sense of betrayal is palpable, the confusion profound.
A Test Case for Nigeria’s Political Soul
The ADC hijack is more than a party crisis; it’s a stark litmus test. Will Nigeria allow its political spaces to be auctioned to the highest bidder, regardless of internal democracy and ongoing court processes? Or will the rule of law, the voice of authentic party members, and the sanctity of judicial determination prevail?
The authentic ADC members, bruised but unbowed, await the court’s verdict – the only gavel they recognize. Until then, they declare with one voice: “This hijack is null and void. Our party is not for sale to political IDPs. The court will decide!” The nation watches, bewildered, waiting to see if democracy or desperation wins this ugly war.
