The interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), David Mark, has made a strong commitment to overhaul the party’s internal systems, promising an end to the imposition of candidates and the establishment of a transparent internal bureaucracy. During the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday, Mark emphasized that his leadership would be rooted in true internal democracy, fairness, and full transparency. “I assure you that under my leadership, we will uphold full democratic ideals and practices that reject the culture of imposition and undue privilege. Our driving principles will be internal democracy, transparency, and accountability,” Mark stated. This declaration subtly addresses concerns raised earlier that same day by Salihu Lukman, a former key figure of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had published a public statement warning against emerging tendencies of godfatherism and candidate favoritism within the ADC. In the statement titled “ADC and the Prospect of Internal Democracy,” Lukman expressed caution to the interim leadership, urging them not to repeat the pattern of loyalty-based impositions often seen in other major parties. In what appeared to be a direct but tactful response, Mark assured party members that his leadership would embrace a grassroots approach and uphold the principles of fairness. “We will operate on the basis of fairness and justice for every party member. Our leadership will be completely transparent. The ADC will adopt a zero-tolerance stance on anti-party behavior and any form of indiscipline,” Mark assured. Mark’s remarks aim to reassure both stakeholders and the Nigerian public of ADC’s renewed commitment to political reform, ahead of the highly anticipated 2027 general elections. With a pledge to instill integrity and restructure internal operations, his leadership vision marks a bold step toward rebuilding trust in Nigeria’s party systems.
