By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna Barely months to the 2027 general elections, cracks have emerged in the Kaduna State chapter of...
By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
Barely months to the 2027 general elections, cracks have emerged in the Kaduna State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as founding members accuse new high-profile defectors of hijacking key positions in the party’s campaign structure.
Distinguished Senator Musa Bello, a chieftain of the party, led the charge at a stakeholders’ meeting of ADC Zone I and II held at Hotel, Kaduna, warning that failure to address the grievances could weaken the party ahead of the polls.
This was contained in a statement signed by the ADC Kaduna State Publicity Secretary, Engineer Idris Musa.
Senator Bello said the ADC in Kaduna must protect its structures from state to ward level and ensure equity in the sharing of strategic roles. He stressed that many members have been with the party for nearly two years “long before the arrival of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Rt. Hon. Isah Ashiru, and their respective supporters.”
“We cannot fold our arms and watch as critical positions are allocated without due consideration for those who have built and sustained the Party from the beginning,” he told the gathering.
The senator reaffirmed commitment to the ADC and to its gubernatorial candidate, Rt. Hon. Isah Ashiru, but insisted that sacrifices of early members must not be ignored in the composition of the Campaign Council or any future government.
Senator Bello identified the reported appointment of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai as Chairman and Hon. Mukhtar Baloni as Secretary of the Campaign Council as the major trigger of the crisis.
He also faulted the emergence of Hajiya Hafsat M. Baba as North West Zonal Chairperson and the selection of the Deputy Governorship Candidate, describing them as part of a “disproportionate allocation of strategic positions to one political tendency.”
“The issue of the Campaign Chairman and Secretary must be revisited. This is not a matter we are prepared to simply let go. We have legitimate interests, and those interests must be respected,” Bello stated.
“We are not saying that anyone should be excluded, but there must be fairness and proper consultation. And going forward, no other strategic appointment should be made without carrying the stakeholders along.”
The Kaduna chieftain warned that lumping sensitive positions in one bloc risks exclusion and could erode the unity required to win in 2027. He appealed to Rt. Hon. Isah Ashiru to provide inclusive leadership and to convene “sincere consultations on power-sharing, campaign responsibilities and Mobilization.”
“The goal is not to create winners and losers, but to build a broad-based coalition where every stakeholder feels respected and represented,” he emphasized.
At the end of the meeting, stakeholders pledged loyalty to Senator Bello’s leadership and to the ADC’s governorship project. However, they demanded greater unity, dialogue and strategic coordination to build what they called “a formidable Party, capable of winning in 2027.”
Political observers say the demand by the ADC old guard in Kaduna reflects a broader challenge facing opposition parties nationwide: how to integrate big-name defectors without alienating the grassroots structures that sustained the party.
With the 2027 election cycle gathering momentum, the ability of the ADC in Kaduna to resolve this internal rift may determine whether it presents a united front or fractures under competing interests.
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