With barely a year to the 2027 general elections, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Zamfara State is at war with itself. What began as a disagreement over leadership and party control has now snowballed into parallel factions, defections and court battles, leaving the party fractured and vulnerable. NICHOLAS DEKERA reports.
With barely six months to the 2027 general elections, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Zamfara State is mired in an internal crisis that threatens to weaken its prospects of making a meaningful impact at the polls.
Rather than consolidating its grassroots structures and positioning itself as a formidable opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the party is grappling with factional leadership disputes, allegations of candidate imposition, and a weak presence across the state’s 14 local government areas.
A political analyst, Saidu Bala, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that unless the crisis is urgently resolved, the ADC risks entering the 2027 elections “a party in name only”.
Two Chairmen, One Party
At the centre of the crisis is a dispute over the party’s authentic leadership in the state.
One faction is led by Hon. Kabiru Garba, who maintains that he remains the duly recognised state chairman of the party.
The other faction is led by Comrade Anas Haidara Kaura, who claims to speak for the party in line with the national leadership under Senator David Mark.
The leadership dispute has reportedly stalled critical party activities, including preparations for the primaries, mobilisation and other electoral processes, while ward and local government executives remain uncertain about which directives to follow.
In a statement issued on 1 September, the Anas faction dissociated the party from a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Gusau and reaffirmed its loyalty to the national leadership and to candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
However, in a counter-statement issued on 2 September, the Kabiru Garba faction cited judgments of the Federal High Court delivered on 29 April 2026, as well as subsequent rulings of the Court of Appeal, which it said affirmed its legitimacy.
Candidate Imposition, Defections
The crisis has also reportedly triggered defections from the party, with allegations of candidate imposition ahead of the 2027 primaries.
Sources within the party told LEADERSHIP Weekend that some aspirants and supporters have defected to the APC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) over alleged irregularities in the distribution of party tickets.
A party loyalist from Zurmi Local Government Area, Jibril Lauwali, alleged that tickets for key positions, including the Gusau Federal Constituency and several seats in the state House of Assembly, had been “allocated” before delegates’ congresses.
A chieftain of the party in Maru LGA, Garba Idris, said the development was costing the party some of its strongest mobilisers and financiers.
“The result is that we are losing our best mobilisers and financiers before the campaign even begins,” he said.
Weak Grassroots Structure
