The ADC Coalition Leadership Team, Akwa Ibom State has described the claims put forward by Dick Duke against the Assistant National Organising Secretary (South-South) of the Coalition, Mr Ben Smith as constitutionally selective, historically inconsistent and contrary to binding national precedents of ADC.
Duke, in a petition had accused the South South Assistant National Organizing Secretary, Smith of being involved in unconstitutional parallel structure, anti party activity and not being the leader of ADC in Akwa Ibom State.
He also claimed to be the INEC recognized chairman and leader of the Coalition in Akwa Ibom, saying the zonal offices has no authority over states according to the ADC constitution.
Responding through a statement, on Friday on behalf of the State Coalition and NWC South South, Kingsley Okposin, South South Zonal Coordinator and Chairman, Zonal Coordinators Forum, the ADC National Media Frontiers absolved Mr Smith of violating ADC Constitution saying his actions were constitutionally grounded, nationally delegated, and precedent-backed.
Okposin who dismissed the State Chairmanship claims of Hon Duke, stressed that he was the State Ex-Officio of the APC though his tenure expired in October 2025; “no constitutional record of resignation from APC, no ADC congress electing him, and no NWC decision appointing him as State Chairman of ADC.”
He said Mercy Edeke remains the authentic and INEC recognized Chairman of ADC in Akwa Ibom, elected in 2022 and her tenure to end in 2026.
He insisted that no constitutional or legal process supports Duke’s claims, adding that from investigations and scrutiny, Smith’s coalition-driven coordination is lawful as he operates strictly within nationally approved transitional arrangements.
He, however, decried Duke’s public display of disobedience to the interim leadership guidelines, saying that such an act constitutes direct disobedience to the National Working Committee.
The statement read, “The ADC Coalition Leadership Team issues this response to directly counter the misleading narrative circulating under the name of Rt. Hon. Duke Dick, which attempts to distort the ADC Constitution, misapply the party organogram, and wrongfully criminalize nationally sanctioned coalition processes
“Akwa Ibom State remains in a transitional phase pending congresses. Mercy Edeke remains the authentic 2022-elected State Chairman. No individual may appropriate party structures outside NWC and coalition authority.
“ADC will not be hijacked by misinterpretation, intimidation, or constitutional distortion.”
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