Fresh Turmoil Rocks ADC After Primaries In Ogun, Katsina

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is grappling with a wave of internal disputes across several states following its primary elections, as allegations of irregularities, parallel exercises and the emergence of rival candidates continue to unsettle the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to credible reports, controversies have trailed the party’s nomination process in states such as Ogun, Kano, Katsina, Benue and Adamawa, with dissatisfied aspirants openly challenging the outcomes and threatening to abandon the party for rival political platforms.

The growing crisis had earlier claimed a high-profile casualty with the resignation of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, who accused the party of manipulating its presidential primary in favour of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

The series of disputes has sparked concerns among party stakeholders, who fear that the internal wrangling could weaken the ADC’s electoral prospects and hinder efforts to present a united front in the build-up to the next general election.

In Ogun State, the crisis intensified after two factions of the party announced different governorship candidates. The faction aligned with the state leadership under Emmanuel Famojuro declared Canada-based artificial intelligence expert, Dr. Biodun Ogundipe, as the winner of the governorship primary. Meanwhile, another faction loyal to Femi Soluade unveiled Jimi Lawal, a former aide to ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, as its preferred candidate.

Both contenders have maintained their claims to the party’s ticket, setting the stage for a possible legal showdown unless the national leadership intervenes to resolve the impasse.

The conduct of the Ogun governorship primary has also come under criticism from one of the aspirants, Marie Odusina, who described the exercise as secretive, poorly managed and lacking democratic standards. A close associate of the aspirant disclosed that dissatisfaction with the process has prompted considerations of defecting to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), alleging that the primary was designed to favour a predetermined candidate.

A similar scenario has unfolded in Katsina State, where rival factions emerged with separate governorship candidates. While the group led by Musa Wamba adopted Salisu Uli through a consensus arrangement, another faction under Mohammed Rimi endorsed former senator Ahmed Kaita for the same position.

Supporters of both aspirants have traded accusations over the legitimacy of the process, with each camp insisting that its candidate emerged through the recognised party structure, further deepening the leadership crisis within the party.