The crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) escalated sharply on Tuesday as state party chairmen denounced what they described as an “orchestrated political coup” allegedly led by a coalition headed by former Senate President, Senator David Mark. In a statement jointly signed by the forum's leader, Elias Adokwu, and its Publicity Secretary, Godwin Alaku, and titled *“Rejecting the Political Junta by Defending ADC and Nigeria’s Democracy Against Subversion,”* the chairmen labelled the situation a “blatant and reckless subversion” of both the party and Nigeria’s democratic standards. The chairmen accused the coalition of attempting an unconstitutional takeover of the ADC through “manipulation and backdoor dealings.” They stated, “We unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms this desperate power grab, which represents not only an aberration of democratic norms but also a grave assault on our collective political values as a nation.” Describing the move as a smokescreen for personal ambition, the chairmen maintained it was not a genuine ideological realignment but rather a “civilian junta” seeking to assume control outside legal and democratic frameworks. They further characterized the alleged plot as an “insult to all those who believe in and have laboured for democratic governance in Nigeria.” The chairmen also accused the coalition of undermining democracy through “selfish ambition and extra-party inducements.” Nonetheless, the statement reaffirmed the ADC’s unwavering commitment to “democratic principles, the rule of law, ideological clarity, and peaceful political engagement,” insisting the party would not serve as a haven for “political mercenaries or ideological impostors.” They challenged the coalition to prove their political relevance, questioning their “electoral value or ideological clarity.” “The ADC is not for sale, not for hijack, and certainly not a dumping ground for discredited power brokers,” the chairmen asserted. In addition, they called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject any efforts to legitimise what they termed an “illegitimate junta.” The chairmen also appealed to the Nigerian public and civil society to resist “creeping authoritarianism” and urged law enforcement agencies to investigate the alleged attempt to destabilise the party. “We, the legitimate custodians of the ADC structure across all states of the federation, reject this illegitimate junta. “We consider it our patriotic duty to defend the soul of the ADC and protect the sanctity of democratic structures in Nigeria,” the statement concluded. In response, the ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed the allegations, insisting the party would not be drawn into baseless controversies. He said, “How long shall we continue to respond to non-existent issues? Who are the members of this Forum of State Party Chairmen? “Look, Nigerians should not allow themselves to be distracted from the real issues that face us as a people. “Let us not waste our time on a gathering of a few people who are seeing that there is money to pick us from what they are doing. There is no issue that we have to respond to.”