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The political crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State has deepened, following the rejection of a purported Certificate of Return issued to former governorship aspirant, Hon Isa Ashiru, by supporters of Hon Idris Shuaibu Abubakar Mikati.
The Kaduna State ADC Youth Vanguard and Coalition of Mikati Support Groups, representing supporters across the state’s 23 local government areas, described the reported issuance of the certificate on October 4 as “illegal and procedurally flawed,” insisting that an unresolved internal appeal remains at the centre of the dispute.
In a statement issued on October 7 and signed by Usman Sani on behalf of the groups, the coalition accused the ADC national leadership of undermining internal democracy and violating the party’s constitution.
“We state categorically that this action by the administrative desk of the National Secretariat of the ADC, purportedly acting for the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC), is a betrayal of internal democracy, a violation of the ADC Constitution, and a direct assault on the will of lawful delegates,” the group said.
The supporters also questioned the circumstances surrounding the alleged issuance, claiming that the party’s National Working Committee had not met for more than six months.
The dispute stems from the ADC governorship primary held in May 2026. According to the coalition, the Primary Election Committee declared Ashiru winner with 86,113 votes.
However, four aspirants, including Mikati, reportedly challenged the outcome before an Electoral Appeal Committee constituted by the party’s NWC.
The coalition said the appeal panel, chaired by Dr Mustapha Fagge, reviewed the petitions and supporting evidence before overturning Ashiru’s declaration and declaring Mikati the rightful candidate of the party.
“The Appeal Committee… formally overturned Ashiru’s declaration and declared Idris Mikati as the authentic and rightful candidate of our great party based on the evidence before it,” the statement said.
The group further alleged that the appeal panel’s decision has yet to receive formal ratification by the NWC, which it described as the party organ responsible for handling and ratifying such matters.
According to the supporters, rather than resolving the outstanding appeal, the party’s national leadership issued a Certificate of Return to Ashiru based on a report they claim had already been overturned by the party’s own appeal mechanism.
“This is unacceptable and sets a dangerous precedent,” the coalition declared. “How can a party establish an internal dispute mechanism and then ignore its own verdict?”
The supporters also questioned how a Certificate of Return could be issued without what they described as a formal NWC or NEC ratification, particularly while the internal dispute remained unresolved.
The coalition consequently rejected the purported certificate issued to Ashiru, describing it as “flawed, null, void and of no effect.”
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It further maintained that Mikati “remains the only candidate with a lawful appellate victory” and therefore the authentic ADC candidate for the 2027 Kaduna governorship election.
The group warned that the development could worsen divisions within the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“This action risks permanent factionalisation of our party in Kaduna ahead of the 2027 general elections,” the statement warned.
The supporters called on the ADC national leadership to immediately reverse what they termed an “administrative error” and convene an emergency meeting of the NWC to consider and uphold the report of the Fagge-led Appeal Committee.
They also disclosed that Mikati had approached the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, over the disputed nomination, saying he was seeking judicial protection of his mandate.
“We stand firmly with our principal who has rightly approached the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja to protect his mandate,” the coalition said.
The group further warned that any attempt to submit Ashiru’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while the matter is before the court, would be challenged legally.
“We warn that the doctrine of lis pendens is now in effect and any attempt to submit Ashiru’s name to INEC will be met with legal consequences and could be nullified by the courts,” it stated.
The coalition, however, urged its supporters across Southern and Northern Kaduna to remain calm and law-abiding while the dispute is being resolved.
“We call on all our teeming supporters, elders, youths, women, stakeholders and supporters… to remain calm, resolute and law-abiding,” the statement said.
“The mandate given to Mikati by delegates cannot be stolen through the backdoor by administrative impunity. Victory is ours and it would be sooner rather than later.”
The latest development adds another layer to the emerging contest for the ADC governorship ticket in Kaduna ahead of the 2027 elections, with the final outcome potentially dependent on the party’s internal processes and the ongoing court proceedings.
The claims contained in the statement could not independently establish, from the statement alone, the current status of the alleged court case, the appeal committee’s report, or the purported Certificate of Return at the time of filing this report.
