Representatives of the British High Commission in Nigeria yesterday attended the national convention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) organised by the faction led by David Mark.
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, also attended the event, which was held at Rainbow Event Centre, Abuja.
The faction’s National Secretary, Ra’uf Aregbesola, confirmed their presence at the convention.
The British High Commission was represented by a three-member delegation led by its Secretary (Political), Thomas Samson. A Nigerian staff member of the High Commission, Damilola Oyedele, was also announced as part of the delegation.
Shortly after proceedings began, Dino Melaye, a former senator and one of the event’s anchors, announced the arrival of the Chinese ambassador. He, however, noted that communication was affected by language barriers.
The presence of the foreign missions had been anticipated, as the Mark-led faction had repeatedly appealed to the international community over the party’s leadership crisis.
The faction proceeded with the convention despite the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) two weeks ago to withdraw recognition of its leadership.
The ADC is currently split into three distinct groups vying for control of the party structure ahead of the 2027 general elections: Apart from the Mark faction, the most prominent of all, there is the Nafi’u Bala faction and the newly-emerged Dumebi Kachikwu faction, each claiming to be the authentic leadership of the party.
