Jigawa ADC Aspirant Challenges Primary Outcome, Petitions Appeal Committee

A governorship aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Jigawa State, Bashir Adamu, has formally rejected the outcome of the party’s primary election, alleging widespread irregularities, undue interference, and violations of the party’s electoral guidelines.

According to reports, Adamu, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented the Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/Yankwashi Federal Constituency, has submitted a petition to the State Election Appeal Committee, seeking the cancellation of the primary and the conduct of a fresh exercise.

The former lawmaker argued that the process which produced Senator Sabo Muhammad Nakudu as the party’s governorship candidate lacked transparency and failed to reflect the genuine wishes of party members. He accused party officials of bias, interference, and complicity in acts that compromised the credibility of the election.

The ADC recently conducted nationwide primary elections to select candidates for various offices ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the Jigawa exercise taking place across the state’s 27 local government areas. Results announced two days after the poll by the primary election committee led by retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police Ahmed Zaki showed that 55,476 valid votes were cast.

The committee declared Nakudu the winner with 35,939 votes, while Adamu secured 19,537 votes.

Dissatisfied with the outcome, Adamu, in a petition dated June 3, 2026, described the primary as flawed and undemocratic, alleging that the entire process was tainted by irregularities, violations of party rules, and undue influence from party officials.

He further claimed that the chairman of the primary election committee compromised the neutrality expected of the office by acting on directives from the party’s State Executive Committee, insisting that the declaration of Nakudu as the winner did not represent the true decision of participating party members.

The aspirant also accused the State Executive Committee of deliberately working to ensure Nakudu’s emergence as the party’s flagbearer. According to him, officials entrusted with election materials across the state manipulated the process, particularly through delays in distributing materials to polling centres in the North-West Senatorial District.

He alleged that the late arrival of election materials forced many accredited party members to leave after waiting for several hours, thereby creating opportunities for manipulation of the voting process.

Adamu further claimed that supporters loyal to his opponent exploited the situation by allegedly seizing election materials and fabricating results in favour of their preferred candidate. He also alleged that violence and intimidation disrupted voting in several locations, leading to the cancellation of the exercise in four local government areas and rendering the primary inconclusive.

The former legislator maintained that such incidents undermined democratic principles and infringed on the rights of party members to participate in a free and fair electoral process. He also questioned the legitimacy of the results announced by the State Executive Committee, arguing that only the duly constituted primary election committee possessed the authority to declare the outcome.

Consequently, Adamu urged the State Election Appeal Committee to nullify the primary election and order a fresh poll, insisting that the conduct of the exercise violated both the ADC’s internal guidelines and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

Reacting to the controversy, Jigawa State ADC Chairman Muhammad Gumel appealed to aggrieved members to remain calm and committed to the party. He described Adamu as an elder statesman and a respected figure in both the ADC and Jigawa politics, urging him to accept the outcome in good faith.

Gumel noted that disagreements are common in competitive elections and should not be allowed to create divisions within the party, stressing that only one candidate can emerge victorious while assuring members that the party remains committed to fairness and equal treatment for all aspirants.