Nafiu Gombe, a factional leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has called for reconciliation and a united front ahead of the 2027 general elections, extending an olive branch to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, and other key party figures.
Despite a recent Federal High Court judgment that he viewed as a vindication of his faction’s position in the protracted leadership dispute, Gombe stated that he is ready to work alongside the opposing camp to rebuild the party and strengthen the opposition.
He issued the appeal during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Saturday, reacting to the ruling delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The genesis
Following a lawsuit filed by Nafiu Gombe challenging how the committee was formed, the court nullified the leadership structure of the David Mark-led caretaker committee on November 5, 2026.
The ruling also declared the process through which Atiku emerged as the party’s presidential flagbearer unlawful.
Reacting to the judgment, Gombe maintained that the court had upheld the party’s constitution and affirmed the legitimacy of his stance, describing the verdict as a victory for his faction.
“Alhamdulillah. As we always say, truth is truth, while lies remain lies. Allah has vindicated us. The court has seen the merit of our case and our truthfulness and has decided to return the party leadership to us,” he said.
Gombe maintained that the verdict should pave the way for reconciliation rather than deepen internal divisions, cautioning against using the court’s decision as an opportunity to victimize members of the rival camp.
Reconciliation
However, Gombe emphasized that strict adherence to the party’s constitution—particularly its provisions governing membership registration and eligibility for leadership and elective positions—must form the basis for any reconciliation.
He explained that aspirants for party offices are required to register at their respective wards, pay all stipulated dues, and satisfy eligibility criteria, including a minimum of two years of continuous membership for those seeking leadership roles.
The factional leader alleged that Mark bypassed ward-level registration and instead obtained his membership card from a former national chairman in Abuja, accusing the rival faction of flouting party regulations.
He added that his repeated warnings regarding the constitutional consequences of the opposing camp’s actions were ignored.
Speaking further, Gombe rejected allegations that he was acting as a proxy for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilize the opposition, maintaining that his sole motivation for pursuing legal action was to uphold the ADC constitution and protect his rights.
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