President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken a swipe at former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of attempting to “privatise” the African Democratic Congress (ADC) amid its ongoing leadership crisis.
Tinubu made the remarks on Thursday while hosting a delegation of Renewed Hope Ambassadors at the State House in Abuja, linking the party’s internal disputes to what he described as Atiku’s political approach.
“The head [Atiku] was the chairman of the privatisation council of Nigeria. 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,” the president said.
“They privatise another man’s political party, but the man (owner) said no,” he added.
The president’s comments come against the backdrop of a protracted leadership tussle within the ADC, which has intensified since an opposition coalition assumed control of the party’s structure in July 2025.
The party is currently divided into multiple factions, including those led by former Senate President David Mark, Nafiu Bala, a former deputy national chairman, and Ogga Kingsley.
Bala has alleged that the Mark-led leadership was illegally constituted, further deepening the internal crisis.
On April 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) withdrew recognition of both the Mark-led faction and Bala’s group following an interim ruling by the Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has scheduled April 22 to hear an appeal filed by Mark challenging the dispute over the party’s leadership.
In a related development, a faction of the ADC in Adamawa State recently announced the suspension of Atiku, accusing him of contributing to divisions within the party.
The crisis within the ADC has continued to raise questions about the cohesion of opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general elections.
