Kaduna ADC split: Two flagbearers declared in governor’s race

From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

The Chairman and the Secretary of the Appeals Committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) primary election in Kaduna State, Muhammed Mustapha Fagge and Mikailu Ibrahim Barau, have respectively declared two different governorship flagbearers of the party in the state.

While Fagge affirmed Shuaibu Idris Mikati as the ADC’s governorship candidate, Barau declared Hon. Isa Ashiru as the governorship flagbearer of the party.

The committee has ordered fresh and rerun primary elections in several federal and state constituencies following the determination of petitions arising from the party’s recently concluded primaries.

Announcing the committee’s decisions, the Chairman of the Appeals Committee, Dr. Muhammed Mustapha Fagge, a retired Comptroller of Immigration, said the panel meticulously reviewed petitions, documentary evidence, and submissions from aggrieved aspirants before reaching its verdicts.

Dr. Fagge disclosed that the committee unanimously upheld Mikati’s emergence as the ADC governorship flagbearer after establishing that he secured the highest number of valid votes cast.

The committee further noted that evidence presented before it revealed irregularities and fraudulent activities linked to some competing governorship aspirants, strengthening its decision to affirm his victory.

The committee also upheld the victories of Tukur Salisu Kakeyi in the Zaria Federal Constituency primary and Muhammed Mahmoud Aliyu in the Soba Federal Constituency after confirming that both aspirants recorded the highest number of valid votes in their respective contests.

However, the committee declared several primary elections inconclusive and ordered reruns in constituencies where substantial irregularities, procedural breaches, omitted candidates, or insufficient evidence of voting were established.

In the Ikara/Kubau Federal Constituency, the committee directed a rerun after finding that a duly screened aspirant, Ibrahim Danlami Kubau, was omitted from the ballot papers.

Similarly, a completely fresh primary election was ordered for the Kaduna South Federal Constituency after investigations revealed no credible evidence that elections were conducted across all wards in the constituency.

Dr. Fagge stated that rerun elections would be conducted in affected wards and constituencies across Kaura, Soba, Ikara, Kajuru, Badarawa/Malali, Magajin Gari II, Birnin Gwari, Tudun Wada West, Igabi, Kagarko, Kawo, Zaria, Chikun/Kajuru, and Kudan/Makarfi, among others, to safeguard the credibility and integrity of the party’s nomination process.

The committee also delivered a significant ruling on the Kaduna North Senatorial District primary, declaring that any attempt to adopt a consensus or affirmation process would be invalid unless it enjoys the consent and agreement of all parties involved.

Dr. Fagge emphasised that the committee’s work was guided by the principles of justice, transparency, inclusiveness, and internal democracy, stressing that no aspirant would be denied a fair opportunity through procedural shortcomings or electoral irregularities.

“Our decisions were reached strictly on the basis of facts, evidence, and the provisions of the party’s guidelines. The committee remains committed to protecting the integrity of the ADC’s internal democratic process and ensuring that the will of party members prevails,” he stated.

The Appeals Committee’s verdict is expected to bring closure to disputes arising from the primaries, clear the path for the conduct of rerun elections where necessary, and strengthen confidence in the ADC’s preparations for the forthcoming electoral contests in Kaduna State.

In the same vein, the Appeals Committee of the party also upheld the primary election results that produced Hon. Isa Ashiru as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Kaduna State.

Addressing a press conference at the ADC party secretariat in Kaduna on Tuesday, the Secretary of the committee, Dr. Mikailu Ibrahim Barau, on behalf of the committee affirmed that “Hon. Isa Ashiru remains the duly declared winner and gubernatorial candidate of the ADC for Kaduna State based on the collated results by the electoral committee”.

The committee therefore called on the national secretariat of the party to disregard the “Abuja Declaration”, adding that the leadership of the party should call for the draft report of the committee with the petitions received.

They also advised the national secretariat of the party to set up an overhauled appeal committee for proper engagements and reporting.

The committee frowned at the unilateral decision of the Appeals Committee’s Chairman, Dr. Mustapha Fagge, who had earlier substituted the name of the winner, Isa Ashiru, for one of the aspirants, Hon. Shuaibu Idris Mikati.

It explained further that the substitution of Isa Ashiru’s name as the party’s flagbearer is procedurally invalid and does not represent the collective findings or consensus of the committee.

The committee therefore described the “Abuja Declaration” by Dr. Fagge without the input of the Secretary and other members of the committee as illegal, arguing that the authority to return or substitute a candidate rests solely with the party’s national leadership, not an ad-hoc appeals Chairman.

While addressing journalists, Barau urged all party members to remain steadfast and calm, assuring that the committee will strictly adhere to the rule of law and the foundational internal democracy of the ADC.

“We will not allow the personal interests of a few to jeopardise the collective political aspirations of our party in the upcoming general elections,” Barau explained.