Fresh concerns have emerged over the internal stability of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna as the party is grappling with no fewer than 49 disputes arising from its recently concluded primary elections.
The concerns were raised by a party member, Comrade Hassan Ahmadu, who warned that unless the disputes are resolved quickly, the opposition party could face prolonged legal battles and internal divisions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement, Ahmadu said the disputes cut across the governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and Kaduna state House of Assembly primaries, with allegations ranging from voter exclusion and hijacked electoral materials to conflicting declarations of winners and procedural irregularities.
According to him, the governorship primary remains the most contentious after conflicting declarations initially named Isa Ashiru as the party’s candidate before the ADC Appeals Committee later affirmed Shuaibu Idris Mikati as the authentic governorship flag bearer.
He noted that the controversy, which has already attracted public attention, has heightened uncertainty within the party and raised fresh questions over the credibility of the primary process.
Ahmadu further pointed to disputes surrounding the Kaduna State Governorship primary, where the party’s appeals committee reportedly ruled in favour of Shuaibu Mikati.
He also cited controversies in the Kaduna South Federal Constituency where the committee ordered a fresh primary, following complaints over the conduct of the exercise.
According to him, reruns and petitions also affected several constituencies, including Ikara/Kubau, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Kajuru, Soba, Kagarko, Chikun/Kajuru and Kudan/Makarfi, while aggrieved aspirants in some state assembly constituencies alleged that candidates were imposed or excluded from the process.
Ahmadu said the accumulation of disputes has unsettled party members and could undermine the ADC’s preparations for the next general election if left unresolved.
Amid the crisis, he said many party faithful have begun looking up to the party’s North-West National Vice Chairman, Mallam Jafaru Sani, as a unifying figure capable of rebuilding confidence within the Kaduna chapter.
According to him, Sani, who contested the governorship primary and later challenged its outcome through legal means, has demonstrated commitment to due process and the party’s internal democracy.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Kaduna state chapter of the ADC on the allegations were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.