Senator David Mark, the national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), convened a pivotal meeting with former federal lawmakers from the party following a series of defections that have shaken the National Assembly.
Two days ago, 17 members of the House of Representatives formally announced their departure from the ADC, crossing over to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu read their resignation letters during Wednesday’s plenary session.
The group of defectors represents constituencies spanning several states, including Kano, Anambra, Lagos, Edo, and Rivers. Additionally, Representative Leke Abejide from Kogi State left the ADC but chose to align with the All Progressives Congress (APC) instead of the NDC.
Multiple lawmakers cited internal leadership disputes and ongoing legal battles within the ADC as their primary reasons for leaving the party. The meeting, held at the ADC’s national secretariat in Abuja, was confirmed by Kola Ologbondiyan, the technical adviser on strategic communication to Mark, who shared a brief update on X (formerly Twitter).
“Representatives of former ADC federal legislators are currently in a high-level discussion with our national chairman, Senator David Mark, at the party’s headquarters this Wednesday,” Ologbondiyan posted. He did not elaborate on the agenda of the talks.
As of press time, the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, has not issued any official statement regarding the outcome of the meeting or the ongoing defection crisis.