Nafiu Bala Gombe, the National Chairman of a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has said he was present when Senator David Mark was sworn in as the party's national chairman.

He, however, argued that his presence was not an indication of his endorsement of the Mark leadership.

In a statement, he recalled that the meeting held on 2nd July 2025 was convened specifically for the adoption of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a unified platform for coalition partners.

Gombe said that contrary to expectations, the event took an unexpected turn when Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, the then National Chairman, was given the floor to deliver his welcoming address. In a shocking move, he announced his resignation as National Chairman, then issued membership cards to Sen. David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, and declared them Acting National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.

"These actions by Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu were in clear contravention of Articles 8(2) and 9(4) of the ADC Constitution (2022, as amended). Notably, the party’s constitution does not empower the outgoing chairman to appoint a successor. The process for replacing the National Chairman is explicitly outlined in the constitution, and Nwosu’s actions disregarded this procedure," Gombe said.

He admitted that he was present at the meeting and could attest that the gathering was not intended to unveil Mark and Aregbesola as party leaders.

"My attendance at the meeting and previous engagements with coalition partners from April 2024 to July 2025 do not imply endorsement of the irregular appointments. There was no formal vote or consensus on the appointments, and several National Working Committee (NWC) members, including myself, were taken aback by the developments.

"Following Nwosu’s announcement, the then National Secretary, Alhaji Sa’id Baba Abdullahi, also resigned, citing unclear circumstances. None of the NWC members were privy to the situation, and neither Nwosu nor Abdullahi had discussed the matter with us prior to the meeting.

"I trust this clarification addresses the concerns raised by the circulating videos of my humble self on social media platforms. I appreciate the opportunity to provide accurate information and set the record straight," he said.