ADC crisis: Makinde, Bala put defection plans on hold as lawmakers waver

Plans by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed, to defect to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, appear to be unravelling, as the Independent National Electoral Commission’s de-recognition of the party’s national leadership throws the political moves into serious doubt.

Credible sources familiar with both governors’ plans told noted that consultations with the ADC had slowed considerably since INEC removed the National Working Committee led by Ralph Uche Mark from its official portal, citing a Court of Appeal order directing all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of a substantive suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The development has also cast a long shadow over the planned defection of several National Assembly members who had been expected to follow the governors out of the Peoples Democratic Party.

A source close to Makinde, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the governor’s enthusiasm for the ADC had visibly dimmed since INEC’s action.

“I’m not sure Makinde will join the ADC again because ever since INEC’s de-recognition of the ADC leadership, he has not been showing interest in further engagements with the ADC leaders,” the source said.

However, Makinde’s Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, flatly denied reports that the governor had been eyeing the ADC, describing them as “mere rumours.”

He also dismissed suggestions that any delay was linked to uncertainty surrounding the party’s leadership crisis.

In Bauchi, the state PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Dayyabu Chiroma, equally moved to douse speculation, insisting that Governor Bala and the party’s structure in the state remained firmly within the PDP.

“All I can tell you is that we are still in the PDP, and we are stronger together,” Chiroma said, acknowledging that a committee had been constituted to evaluate the party’s political options — but stressing that no decision to exit had been reached.

Bala had, as recently as Tuesday, signalled his intention to defect during a closed-door meeting with an ADC delegation led by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, at the Presidential Lodge in Bauchi.

He had described the ADC as a “preferred destination” while noting that consultations were ongoing.

Lawmakers in a Bind

The crisis has left National Assembly members who had already signalled their exit from the PDP in an awkward position.

The lawmaker representing Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, Mansur Soro, told Sunday PUNCH that a decision remained days away.

“We are still consulting and we’ll decide in the next one week,” he said.

Jesse Onuakalusi, whose defection from the Labour Party to the ADC was announced on the floor of the House of Representatives, was more guarded, declining to say what his next move would be if the crisis remains unresolved.

“I don’t want to talk about this issue for now,” he said curtly.

A more bullish assessment came from Uchenna Okonkwo, who represents Idemili North/Idemili South Federal Constituency in Anambra State.

He dismissed INEC’s action as a misreading of the appellate court’s directive and expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved through the courts.

“The Court of Appeal did not ask INEC to yank off anybody’s name. The court said the status quo should be maintained, but the umpire chose to interpret it the way it deemed it,” he said.

Okonkwo also suggested that former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi would ultimately guide the path of many LP defectors, regardless of how the ADC crisis plays out.

The Crisis at the ADC’s Core

The ADC’s leadership tussle pits two rival factions — one led by Nafiu Gombe and the other by Mark — against each other in a contest over control of the party’s national structure. Following the Court of Appeal’s March 12 ruling, INEC sided with the order to preserve the pre-dispute status quo, effectively sidelining the Mark-led NWC.

The Mark faction rejected this interpretation, called for the dissolution of INEC and vowed to press ahead with a National Convention scheduled for Abuja on April 14.