President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has aimed a dig former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of attempting to privatise the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking on Thursday while hosting a delegation of the renewed hope ambassadors at the State House, Tinubu blamed the AD leadership crisis on an attempt by the former vice-president to “privatise” the party.
Tinubu said Abubakar’s past role in Nigeria’s privatisation programme did not record any success.
“The head [Atiku] was the chairman of the privatisation council of Nigeria (NPC). He privatised the steel industry in Delta; is it working today? No. He privatised Ajaokuta. Is it working today? No, I can go on to list. They privatise another man’s political party, but the man (owner) said no,” the president said.
Since July 2025, when an opposition coalition took over the ADC’s leadership, the party has been embroiled in internal disputes, with Nafiu Bala, a former deputy national chairman, alleging that the David Mark-led leadership was illegally appointed.
The ADC is polarised into three factions led by Mark, Bala, and Ogga Kingsley, respectively.
On April 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) derecognised the Mark-led faction and Bala’s group following an interim ruling of the court of appeal.
The supreme court has fixed April 22 to hear an appeal filed by Mark against a suit instituted by Bala’s faction, challenging his leadership.
On April 13, a faction of the ADC in Adamawa suspended the former vice-president, accusing him of causing disunity in the party.
