Nigeria’s fractious opposition politics took another turn on Friday as David Mark, the embattled national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), held a private meeting with senior figures from the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
The high-level talks, conducted behind closed doors, brought together key actors from both parties, in what observers see as a fresh round of political consultations amid a deepening leadership crisis within the ADC.
Among those present were the PRP’s newly installed national chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; the ADC’s national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi; his PRP counterpart, Muhammed Ishaq; and former national vice-chairman (north) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman.
Baba-Ahmed’s emergence as PRP leader follows his resignation in April 2025 as special adviser on political matters to Vice-President Kashim Shettima—a move widely interpreted as a return to frontline partisan politics.
Neither party issued an official statement after the meeting. But a senior figure familiar with the discussions said the PRP used the occasion to reaffirm its support for the ADC leadership in its ongoing dispute with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other state institutions.
“The PRP expressed strong solidarity with the ADC regarding its ongoing dispute with INEC and other government institutions,” the source said, adding that the party had condemned what it described as “assaults and anti-democratic actions” against the ADC.
Responding, Mark welcomed the show of support, noting that the PRP had been the only political party to publicly align with his faction during the crisis. He also expressed hope that relations between the two parties would remain constructive and focused on broader national interests.
The meeting comes as tensions within the ADC intensify following the emergence of a third faction, which recently endorsed INEC’s decision to withdraw recognition from the Mark-led leadership.
At a press conference in Abuja, the group said the electoral body’s action was consistent with a court of appeal ruling, while rejecting the leadership of Nafiu Bala Gombe, arguing that he did not emerge through any credible process.
The faction also accused a former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu, of attempting to transfer the party structure to individuals allegedly aligned with Mark.
Comprising several state chairmen, the group said it had convened a valid national executive committee meeting at the Abuja office of Dumebi Kachikwu, where it endorsed a new leadership arrangement—further complicating an already fragmented party landscape.
