₦airaland Forum

The ruling, delivered by Justice Isah Ahmed, lays bare a deepening leadership crisis widely linked to Atiku’s inability to steady the party amid spiralling internal conflicts, multiple litigations and a hemorrhaging membership base.

Afresh crisis has rocked the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa, the home turf of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, as a High Court in Yola nullified the party’s state congresses just six days to a critical deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The ruling, delivered by Justice Isah Ahmed, lays bare a deepening leadership crisis widely linked to Atiku’s inability to steady the party amid spiralling internal conflicts, multiple litigations and a hemorrhaging membership base.

The court declared the congresses “null and void,” citing blatant violations of Section 84(4) of the Electoral Act and Article 18 of the ADC Constitution.

The judge slammed party officials for abandoning due process in favour of what he described as “self-imposed procedures,” reinforcing concerns that the ADC has become a theatre of impunity rather than internal democracy.

The lawsuit, filed by state chairman Comrade Shehu Yohanna, exposed the festering divisions within the party. His claims that the congresses defied both legal and constitutional provisions were upheld, delivering a crushing judicial indictment of the party’s leadership structure.

But the courtroom defeat is only part of the crisis.

Insiders say the ADC in Adamawa is collapsing under the weight of legal uncertainty and leadership failure.

More than 80 percent of its members are believed to have defected in recent weeks, fleeing what critics describe as a toxic environment marked by disregard for court orders and persistent factional warfare.

The fallout has been brutal and politically costly.

Former allies of Atiku, including Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani, have walked away, leading a mass defection into the emerging Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).

Meanwhile, Senator Ishaku Abbo has also exited, aligning with the Labour Party in a further blow to the ADC’s crumbling structure.

What remains of the party in Adamawa is widely seen as a shell, fractured and struggling for relevance in the face of mounting legal setbacks and political desertion.

INEC’s deadline for political parties to submit updated membership registers and leadership lists — typically tied to pre-election compliance timelines — now looms large.

Failure to meet such requirements risks further complications, including potential disqualification from key electoral processes.

While INEC periodically issues specific dates depending on the electoral cycle, such deadlines are binding and strictly enforced, leaving little room for parties entangled in internal disputes.

esnbrutality:
Peter obi was smart enough.

Now I see why agbadorians are crying

Mitsurugi:
You see am? Abegi Obi was smart joor. It's only those that wanted him trapped in the ADC and off the ballot that are crying. And we know them!🌽

Cj4charles:
Court can sink ADC now, the train has already moved on... Nigerians don't care about them anymore

BarrElChapo:
APC is a wicked political party and their brand of politics is disgusting

esnbrutality:
Peter obi was smart enough.

Now I see why agbadorians are crying

Mitsurugi:
You see am? Abegi Obi was smart joor. It's only those that wanted him trapped in the ADC and off the ballot that are crying. And we know them!🌽

Do you know what awaits Obi/Kwankwaso and their NDC before this MONTH ends?
There may yet be weeping and gnashing of teeth in some Villages!,

Parachoko:
This Is the way people like you Fail exam

The person who took the case to court is boldly written in the article.

Why he took the case to court is boldly written on the Article, but you choose to blame Tulumbu for Atiku's failure in Adamawa State.

PresidentMUGABE:
Fellow Nigerians, good morning.

I woke up this morning after my church service with a deeply reflective heart, and despite every constraint, I felt compelled to share these thoughts with you.

Many people do not truly understand the silent pains some of us carry daily—the private struggles, emotional burdens, and quiet battles we face while trying to survive and serve sincerely in difficult circumstances.

We now live in an environment that has become increasingly toxic, where the very system that should protect and create opportunities for decent living often works against the people—a society where intimidation, insecurity, endless scrutiny, and discouragement have become normal.

More painful is when some of those you associate with, believing you would find understanding and solidarity among them, become part of the pressure you face. Some who publicly identify with you privately distance themselves or join in unfair criticism.

We live in a society where humility is mistaken for weakness, respect is seen as a lack of courage, and compassion is treated as foolishness—a system where treating people equally is questioned simply because you refuse to worship status, tribe, class, or power.

Personally, I have never looked down on anyone except to uplift them. I have never used privilege, position, or resources to oppress others, intimidate the weak, or make people feel small. To me, leadership has always been about service, sacrifice, and helping others rise.

Let me state clearly: my decision to leave the ADC is not because our highly respected Chairman, Senator David Mark, treated me badly, nor because my leader and elder brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, or any other respected leaders did anything personally wrong to me. I will continue to respect them.

However, the same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises and hostility within the Labour Party that forced me to leave now appear to be finding their way into the ADC, with endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division, instead of focusing on deeper national problems and playing politics built more on control and exclusion than on service and nation-building.

Even within spaces where one labours sincerely, one is sometimes treated like an outsider in one’s own home. You and your team become easy targets for every failure, frustration, or misunderstanding, as though honest contribution has become a favour being tolerated rather than appreciated.

And when you choose to leave so that those you are leaving can have peace, and you step out into the cold, you are still maligned and your character is questioned. Despite all your efforts to continue working for a better Nigeria and engaging people with sincerity and goodwill, those who do not wish you well continue to attack your character and question your intentions.

There are moments I ask God in prayer: Why is doing the right thing often misconstrued as wrongdoing in our country? Why is integrity not valued? Why is the prudent management of resources, especially when invested in critical areas like education and healthcare, wrongly labelled as stinginess? Why are humility and obedience to the rule of law often taken to be weakness rather than discipline?

Let me assure all that I am not desperate to be President, Vice President, or Senate President. I am desperate to see a society that can console a mother whose child has been kidnapped or killed while going to school or work. I am desperate to see a Nigeria where people will not live in IDP camps but in their homes. I am desperate for a country where Nigerian citizens do not go to bed hungry, not knowing where their next meal will come from.

Yet, despite everything, I remain resolute. I firmly believe that Nigeria can still become a country with competent leadership based on justice, compassion, and equal opportunity for all.

A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO

Delat521:
Agbadorian or no agbadorian PO is just wasting is energy and time, and indirectly helping the same agbadoy he hated much.

If he want to rescue Nigerians he should pls go and deputize Atiku and throw agbadorian in Aso rock. Anything short of that exercise in futility.

Though I don't believe in their leadership Atiku/Obi ticket just like this hubris that's there now but at least taste another administration and see if there is going be a change.