Foreign Diplomats Reportedly Attend ADC Convention Amid Controversy

Published April 15, 2026 at 7:13 AM

ADC Convention

Persons said to be representatives of the British High Commission in Nigeria were present on Tuesday at the national convention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) faction led by former Senate President, David Mark.

Naija News reports that the convention was held at the Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja.

Organisers of the event also claimed that the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, attended the gathering.

However, the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, in a chat with Premium Times, denied the claim, stating that neither the ambassador nor any of its diplomats was present at the event.

An embassy official, Chen Yao, clarified that the Asian man introduced at the convention as the envoy was not known to the embassy.

Further checks confirmed that the individual identified at the event was not the Chinese ambassador.

The ADC faction’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, said the British High Commission was represented by a three-member delegation led by its Secretary (Political), Thomas Samson.

He added that a Nigerian staff member of the commission, Damilola Oyedele, was also part of the delegation.

As of the time of filing this report, the British High Commission had yet to confirm the presence of the individuals introduced as its representatives.

Convention Holds Despite INEC Stance

The Mark-led faction proceeded with the convention despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) withdrawing recognition of its leadership.

INEC had cited the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal as the basis for suspending recognition of the faction.

The commission also stated that it would not recognise any other faction, including the one led by Nafiu Bala, pending the resolution of the dispute.

The party is currently divided into three major factions vying for control ahead of the 2027 general elections.

These include the Mark-led faction, the Nafiu Bala faction and a third group led by Dumebi Kachikwu.

The Kachikwu group has rejected both Mark and Bala, accusing them of hijacking the party and backing INEC’s decision to withdraw recognition.

Meanwhile, the Mark-led faction has called for the resignation of INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, along with other national commissioners, as the crisis continues to deepen.