The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is grappling with a wave of internal disputes across several states following the conclusion of its primary elections, raising fresh concerns about the party’s cohesion and electoral prospects ahead of the 2027 general election.
Allegations of irregularities, parallel primaries, rival candidacies, petitions, and threats of court action have engulfed the party in states including Ogun, Kano, Katsina, Benue and Adamawa. The growing unrest has prompted warnings from party members that the ADC risks entering the next electoral cycle divided and weakened.
The fallout has already claimed a high-profile casualty. Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, resigned from the party after accusing its leadership of manipulating the presidential primary process in favour of former vice-president Atiku Abubakar.
The most visible disputes have emerged in Ogun and Katsina states, where rival factions have each produced separate governorship candidates.
In Ogun, a faction aligned with the state chairman, Emmanuel Famojuro, declared Canada-based artificial intelligence expert Dr Biodun Ogundipe as the party’s governorship candidate. A rival camp loyal to Femi Soluade, however, announced Jimi Lawal, a former aide to ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, as the winner of its own primary.
Both men continue to lay claim to the ticket, setting the stage for a potentially lengthy legal battle unless the party’s national leadership intervenes.
The controversy has also drawn criticism from other aspirants. Marie Odusina, who contested the primary, alleged that the process lacked transparency and was marred by procedural flaws. A senior aide to the aspirant, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed the exercise had been designed to favour a predetermined candidate and suggested that Odusina was considering a move to the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
“Dr Odusina is not actually happy with the way the governorship primary was handled,” the aide said. “It was obviously organised to favour a predetermined candidate. We are already planning to dump ADC for NDC.”
Attempts to reach Odusina were unsuccessful, with associates indicating that she was outside the country.
A similar standoff has unfolded in Katsina, where a faction led by Musa Wamba adopted Salisu Uli as its governorship candidate through a consensus arrangement, while another group under Mohammed Rimi endorsed former senator Ahmed Kaita.
Supporters of both camps have traded accusations over the legitimacy of the process, each insisting that its candidate emerged through the recognised party structure.
In Kano, disgruntled aspirants have rejected the outcome of governorship, National Assembly and state assembly primaries, alleging widespread irregularities. Operating under the banner of Concerned ADC Aspirants and Stakeholders, the group questioned whether the elections could have been validly conducted on 21 May, arguing that aspirants were still undergoing screening on the same day.
Wada Masu, spokesperson for the group, said the sequence of events raised serious doubts about the credibility of the exercise and called on the national leadership to investigate.
The state chairman, Musa Ungogo, dismissed the allegations, insisting that due process had been followed. He attributed the complaints to dissatisfaction among unsuccessful contenders and said consultations were ongoing between leading governorship aspirants Ibrahim Little and Malam Ibrahim Khalil in a bid to reach a consensus.
The unrest extends to Benue, where at least nine House of Representatives aspirants have petitioned the party’s appeal panel over the conduct of the primaries.
One of the complainants, Inalegwu Ejembi, described the exercise as “a shame”, claiming that no primary election took place.
“On a personal note, I will tell you that there was no primary anywhere,” he said. “We all went home expecting to participate in the election, but unfortunately, there was no election.”
Although he ruled out defecting to another party, Ejembi said he remained hopeful that the appeal panel would address the grievances of aggrieved aspirants.
In Adamawa, the dispute appears headed for the courts. House of Representatives aspirant Ahmed Bashir described the primary as “a sham” and vowed to challenge the outcome legally. He alleged that he had been pressured to step aside for Adamu Atiku, son of the ADC presidential candidate, and claimed he was denied access to the party’s appeal committee.
“I’m going to court to challenge the purported conduct of the primary and the declaration of a non-contestant as winner,” Bashir said.
The party’s state secretary, Shagna Pwamaddi, rejected the allegations, maintaining that the primaries were free and fair and urging dissatisfied members to exhaust internal dispute-resolution mechanisms.
The tensions have already translated into defections. In Kebbi State, former House of Representatives aspirant Bashar Geda formally joined the ruling All Progressives Congress alongside party executives and supporters.
Welcoming the defectors at an event in Nasarawa I Ward, the APC’s vice-chairman for Kebbi Central, Shehu Idris, described the move as a significant gain for the governing party and pledged equal opportunities for the new members.
Geda said his decision was influenced by what he described as the developmental achievements of Governor Nasir Idris.
“I have seen the good work you have done for the people of Kebbi State,” he said. “In view of this, I, alongside my parents and supporters, have resolved to support you and ensure the success of your administration.”
Governor Idris, in response, thanked the defectors and assured them of fair treatment within the APC.
For the ADC, however, the growing number of disputes, defections and legal threats presents a formidable challenge. With less than a year before the political landscape begins to crystallise ahead of the 2027 elections, the party faces mounting pressure to resolve internal grievances or risk entering the contest deeply fractured.
