In Atiku’s home state, ADC is in deep crisis

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State—the home state of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar—has suffered a major internal fracture as several key figures have left the party to pursue their political ambitions elsewhere.

What began as a power struggle over the state party structure had split the ADC into three major factions in the northeastern state.

One of the factions was led by the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and the other two by former senators Aishatu Ahmed, popularly known as Binani, and Ishaku Abbo.

The Binani and Abbo factions have now announced their departure from the ADC.

​The Binani group was the first to announce a mass resignation of its members from the party. The development was announced in a communique signed by Mijiyewa Kugama and Saidu Komsiri, following a stakeholders’ meeting held on Saturday, 18 April.

The group cited alleged total collapse of internal democracy in the ADC and manipulation of recent party congresses as the primary reasons for its exit. It had rejected the newly “elected” leadership in Adamawa, labelling the entire process that produced it as a sham.

“We, the undersigned critical stakeholders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State, drawn from the three Senatorial Zones, convened to review the disturbing developments arising from the recently conducted party congresses. After exhaustive deliberations, we unequivocally declare that the actions of the party leadership at both state and national levels have destroyed internal democracy, undermined the rule of law, and rendered the party structure in Adamawa State illegitimate and unacceptable.”

The faction stated that the congresses conducted under the leadership of Ishaya Bauka was “fundamentally flawed” and orchestrated to impose pre-selected candidates against the will of the party’s rank and file.

The group also accused the party’s national and state leadership of flagrantly ignoring the Nigerian judiciary to achieve their aims.

“Valid court judgments and subsisting injunctions were deliberately ignored, setting a dangerous precedent of lawlessness within the party. The party leadership engaged in systematic exclusion, imposition, and intimidation of genuine stakeholders and aspirants.

“The party has consequently lost moral legitimacy and can no longer serve as a credible platform for democratic participation in Adamawa State.

“In view of the above, and in the overriding interest of justice, political survival, and the people of Adamawa State, we unanimously resolve and pass a vote of no confidence on the ADC leadership at both the State and National levels for their complicity in the collapse of internal democracy.”

Mass exit

The group announced its “immediate and irreversible” departure from the ADC, effectively creating a vacuum in the party’s Adamawa chapter.

“We hereby announce our immediate and irreversible resignation en masse from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State and we categorically reject the outcomes of the recently conducted congresses and declare them null, void, and of no consequence”, the Binani faction stated.

The group added that it will immediately align with “a more credible and democratic political platform that guarantees fairness, justice, and respect for the rule of law”, and mandated Binani to do the same.

“We unanimously mandate Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani to lead stakeholders in determining and transitioning into a viable political platform for effective participation in the 2027 general elections, particularly the Governorship race in Adamawa State”, the group stated.

Politics is a war, you don’t win by being nice – Abbo

The faction led by former senator for Adamawa North Senatorial District, Mr Abbo, has taken the same step.

On Monday, Mr Abbo officially announced his defection from the ADC, urging his supporters to remain calm as he transitions to a new political platform.

“I will officially announce my (political) party this weekend. My supporters and those who want to run for office and win in 2027 should wait for me. I will lead you to victory.

“Peter Obi moved to the Labour Party barely 6 months before the election and won 12 states, the same as Tinubu whose party was in power for 8 unbroken years.

“President Faye of Senegal came out of prison two weeks before the elections and won the presidential election.

“We have over 10 months until the elections and you are telling me that it’s too late to move to a new party and win the election?

“I have moved round Adamawa State, embedded myself with the grassroots and mobilised people for the past 3 years, wait and see me win”, Mr Abbo stated.

Court orders

Mr Abbo had blamed the ADC crisis in Adamawa on the actions of Mr Lawal, whom he also accused of disobeying court orders and hijacking the ADC structure in the state.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the High Court of Adamawa State ordered the ADC to suspend its plans for congresses in the state pending the outcome of a suit.

The order stopped the ward, local government and state-level congresses scheduled for 9, 10, and 11 April across the state.

Mr Abbo said despite the court order, the Mr Lawal-backed faction went ahead to conduct the congresses.

“As the crises in the Adamawa state chapter of the ADC induced single handedly by Babachir David Lawal continued unabated, one of the front runner governorship aspirants in the ADC sued and secured interim order against the conduct of ADC State Congresses slated for today (9, April) making it the second orders from two different parties and from two different courts against the Congress.

“When the court bailiff introduced himself to the chairman of the congress committee and handed over the order and the processes to him, he refused service and instead started to run like a wild rabbit”, Mr Abbo stated in an earlier Facebook post.

Mr Abbo said the court bailiff simply dumped the papers on the chairperson of the congress committee and filled an affidavit of service.

The former lawmaker had initially sought reconciliation in the party.

“While we pray for the quick resolution of the crises within the ADC, we the real stakeholders hope for the best but fully prepared for the worst. All our supporters should be on alert and fully prepare for the 2027 elections as I lead from the front.

“Dear Youths, know this and have peace, POLITICS IS WAR, YOU DON’T WIN WAR BY BEING NICE”, Mr Abbo stated.

‘A nuclear weapon in the hands of APC’

Mr Abbo said the leadership crisis within the ADC and the party’s disobedience to court orders were a “nuclear weapon” gifted to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The former lawmaker warned that if the controversial congresses were allowed to stand, the party risks disqualification from the 2027 general elections.

The “Plateau Precedent”

Mr Abbo cited the legal catastrophe suffered by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State during the 2023 cycle as a cautionary tale.

“In the buildup to the 2023 elections in Plateau State, a simple disobedience of a State High Court order led to all PDP Senators, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly members losing their seats after they had already been sworn in,” Mr Abbo noted. “I do not want to lose my seat to the courts again, and I do not want anyone else to suffer my affliction.”

Mr Abbo traced the genesis of the Adamawa ADC crisis to alleged actions of Mr Lawal. He alleged that the turmoil began when Mr Lawal attempted to remove Shehu Yohanna from office to install Sadiq Dasin as state chairman.

When that move failed, Mr Abbo claimed Mr Lawal appointed Mr Dasin as chairman of a “Transition Committee”—a nomenclature the former lawmaker insists is “alien to the constitution of the ADC.”

Mr Abbo also revealed that he had previously made peace effort and appealed to prominent figures, including Atiku, to intervene and call Mr Lawal to order.

“I call on all those who know BD (Mr Lawal) to please talk to him. He should not destroy the aspirations of hundreds of youths who want to contest under the ADC, because he is the one fueling all the crises in the Adamawa ADC. I have proof and instances of this”, he had stated.

In compliance with a court order secured by the Shehu Yohanna faction, Mr Abbo said he suspended all participation in party congresses.

“For now, in obedience to the court order secured by Shehu Yohanna, I, Senator Ishaku Abbo, have halted participation in the congresses pending the outcome of the case. Pray for us in ADC; we have entered ‘one chance’.”

Mr Abbo said he led a team to appeal to Mr Yohanna to withdraw the litigation, a move he said was encouraged by Atiku.

“I am leading a team of negotiators to negotiate with Shehu Yohanna to withdraw his case from the court. His Excellency Atiku Abubakar asked me to speak with Shehu Yohanna”, he stated.

PREMIUM TIMES tried to reach Mr Lawal for comment throughout Sunday and Monday morning; however, his known phone number remained unreachable.

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The exit, and Atiku’s hope

A political alliance once touted as an “invincible coalition” in Adamawa is fracturing with the duo of Binani and Abbo exiting ADC.

Political analysts view this development as a significant blow to Atiku, suggesting that he relied heavily on these figures for wresting control of Adamawa State from the ruling APC.

The gravity of this split stands in stark contrast to Atiku’s recent optimism.

While receiving Sallah homage from Binani’s loyalists in Yola, the former vice president declared that a convergence of forces—comprising Binani, the Nyako dynasty, Mr Abbo, and himself—would create a “coalition of titans.”

He stated that no political power in Adamawa State could prevail against such a united front.

However, with the Binani and Abbo groups formally taking their leave, that alliance has failed to hold.

What was envisioned as a strategic confluence of political heavyweights has instead quickly dissolved into bickering factions, leaving the opposition’s strategy for the state in disarray.