Representatives of the British High Commission in Nigeria, on Tuesday, attended the national convention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) organised by the faction led by David Mark.

The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, also attended the event held at Rainbow Event Centre, Abuja.

The faction’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, confirmed their presence at the convention.

The British High Commission was represented by a three-member delegation led by its Secretary (Political), Thomas Samson. A Nigerian staff member of the High Commission, Damilola Oyedele, was also announced as part of the delegation.

Shortly after proceedings began, Dino Melaye, a former senator and one of the event’s anchors, announced the arrival of the Chinese ambassador. He, however, noted that communication was affected by language barriers.

The presence of the foreign missions had been anticipated, as the Mark-led faction had repeatedly appealed to the international community over the party’s leadership crisis.

INEC stance and party crisis

The faction proceeded with the convention despite the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) two weeks ago to withdraw recognition of its leadership.

INEC referenced the 12 March ruling of the Court of Appeal as the basis for suspending recognition of Mr Mark’s faction of the party. The commission also stated that it would not have any dealings with another faction of the party led by Nafiu Bala, one of its former national vice chairmen.

The ADC is currently split into three distinct groups vying for control of the party structure ahead of the 2027 general elections: Apart from the Mark faction, the most prominent of all, there is the Nafiu Bala faction and the newly emerged Dumebi Kachikwu faction, each claiming to be the authentic leadership of the party.

This “third way” group rejected both Mark and Bala, accusing them of hijacking the party. They support the INEC de-recognition and are calling for a neutral interim committee to oversee party affairs.

The factions have since protested the decision, each insisting it is the legitimate leadership of the party.

The Mark-led group has also called for the resignation of INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, along with the national commissioners.

British, China embassy officials join ADC convention

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