The Abuja venue scheduled for the national convention of the Nafiu Bala-led faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was deserted on Tuesday, as no delegates, party officials, or organisers showed up for the widely publicised event.
A TV Platinum correspondent, whose live broadcast was monitored by SaharaReporters on Facebook, reported from the National Stadium in Abuja that the convention ground remained completely inactive at the expected commencement time.
“We are live at the National Stadium in Abuja where the Nafiu Bala-led faction of ADC is expected to hold their national convention,” the reporter stated.
“Now as you can see, the venue is empty. There is nobody here. No preparation ongoing. No delegate, no party members. The whole place is empty. Everywhere is empty. The velodrome is locked.”
The unexpected development comes amid rising internal conflict within the ADC, after reports emerged that Bala’s faction had fixed April 21, 2026, for its own national convention at the Abuja National Stadium.
The proposed convention is the latest move in the party’s escalating leadership crisis, with rival claims of authority between Bala’s faction and another group led by former Senate President David Mark.
Only days earlier, Bala had dismissed the April 14 national convention organised by the Mark-led faction, describing it as illegal and invalid. He argued that the event violated an existing court judgment, stressing that any convention held contrary to the Court of Appeal ruling issued on March 12, 2026, would be considered legally void.
Bala also pointed to the absence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the rival convention as evidence that it lacked official legitimacy and would not withstand judicial scrutiny.
He further accused the opposing camp of acting unlawfully, including allegations of forging documents bearing his signature. Bala also rejected claims that the Mark-led coalition had lawfully adopted the ADC as its political platform ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the process was manipulated to hijack the party’s leadership structure.
According to Bala, what was initially presented as a political alignment quickly became a deliberate effort to restructure the party without following constitutional procedures.
He maintained that his faction remains the authentic leadership of the ADC and insisted that the rival camp lacks the legal authority to convene a national convention or make binding decisions on behalf of the party.
The leadership dispute has already moved to the courts, with Bala confirming that the matter is currently before Justice Emeka Nwite, following INEC’s refusal to recognise him as acting national chairman.
As of the time of this report, Bala’s faction had yet to issue any official statement explaining why the convention venue remained empty, raising fresh concerns about the feasibility of the planned gathering and highlighting the deepening crisis within the ADC.
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