The African Democratic Congress (ADC), which has positioned itself as a major opposition platform ahead of the 2027 general elections, is grappling with growing internal tensions after its governorship and presidential primaries were marred by allegations of irregularities, parallel exercises, voter disenfranchisement and factional disputes across several states.
A review of the party’s primary elections by PREMIUM TIMES shows a recurring pattern of controversy from Rivers and Oyo to Kaduna, Akwa Ibom and Katsina, with aggrieved aspirants rejecting outcomes, demanding fresh elections and, in some cases, threatening legal action.
The disputes come at a critical moment for the ADC, which recently attracted several high-profile political figures and has sought to present itself as a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
While the party successfully produced candidates in several states, the controversies surrounding the exercises have exposed underlying struggles over control of party structures and raised questions about its ability to manage a broad opposition coalition.
Presidential primary controversy
The tensions intensified after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged the winner of the party’s presidential primary, defeating former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Although the party described the exercise as transparent, both Mr Amaechi and Mr Hayatu-Deen rejected the outcome.
In a statement after the primary, Mr Amaechi alleged widespread voter disenfranchisement and said he could not accept results from a process that failed to reflect the democratic ideals the party claimed to represent.
“There is no way that about 80 per cent of members of the party were not allowed to vote and you expect me to accept such results,” he said.
The ADC leadership subsequently urged aggrieved aspirants to seek redress through the party’s established mechanisms and electoral processes.
The dispute at the presidential level mirrored similar complaints that had already emerged from several gubernatorial contests.
Rivers: The biggest flashpoint
Nowhere were the divisions more visible than in Rivers State, where parallel governorship primaries produced different candidates.
One faction announced former Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Gabriel Pidomson, as the winner after he reportedly secured more than 112,000 votes.
Another faction declared former House of Representatives member Farah Dagogo as the party’s candidate after a separate exercise.
A third aspirant, Allen Ezekiel-Hart, rejected both outcomes, alleging that the process was manipulated and produced multiple winners.
The dispute fuelled speculation that the Rivers crisis reflected a broader struggle between political camps aligned with Mr Amaechi and Atiku, both of whom were simultaneously battling for influence within the party ahead of the presidential primary.
Political observers say recognising a governorship candidate in Rivers could become an important test of the party’s ability to manage internal disputes.
Oyo, Akwa Ibom and Kaduna disputes
In Oyo State, the governorship primary also generated controversy.
While Taofeek Adegoke was declared the winner of one exercise, rival groups announced separate outcomes, exposing divisions within the state chapter.
A governorship aspirant, Adebisi Ilaka, rejected the result and alleged that the result sheets meant for several local government areas were diverted.
He described the exercise as a “travesty” and an assault on internal democracy.
Similar complaints emerged in Akwa Ibom State, where former senator John Akpanudoedehe was declared the winner of the governorship primary.
His opponent, Mfon Peter, rejected the outcome, alleging exclusion from parts of the process, illegal rescheduling of voting and widespread irregularities.
Mr Peter subsequently petitioned the party’s appeal committee and threatened legal action.
In Kaduna State, some governorship and legislative aspirants rejected the entire primary process.
At a press conference, they alleged that electoral materials were seized during the exercise and that predetermined results were announced without actual voting.
The aspirants demanded outright cancellation of the primaries and called on the party’s national leadership to organise fresh elections.
Katsina: Appeals delay final outcome
Katsina is another state where primary disputes remain unresolved.
Rival groups within the ADC have exchanged accusations over the emergence of the party’s governorship candidate.
While one faction accused the national leadership of imposing a candidate and bypassing internal democratic procedures, another group aligned with the state party structure dismissed the allegations and accused disgruntled aspirants of attempting to destabilise the party.
Although rival camps within the party have publicly backed different aspirants and accused one another of attempting to influence the outcome, the party has yet to formally announce a governorship candidate.
Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said the delay was linked to ongoing appeals.
“You will notice that no result has been officially announced. No result of the primary has been officially announced as I speak with you because there are still issues on appeals, and we cannot be announcing results when the appeals have not been exhausted,” he said.
According to him, the appeal process is intended to ensure that complaints lodged by party members are fairly addressed before final decisions are taken.
Not all states recorded disputes
Despite some controversies, the ADC successfully concluded its governorship primaries in several states with minimal or no major public disputes.
In Delta State, former governorship candidate Great Ogboru emerged as the party’s standard-bearer after defeating Emmanuel Unuafe with a wide margin.
In Ogun State, the process was marred by parallel primaries and factional disputes, with two candidates, Biodun Ogundipe and Jimi Lawal, declared winners by different groups. The party’s Governorship Primaries Electoral Committee has since declared Mr Ogundipe the authentic winner.
Other states where candidates emerged without significant controversy include Sokoto, Kwara, Gombe, Bauchi, Kebbi, Lagos, and Jigawa.
Party officials in those states described the exercises as peaceful and transparent and urged members to unite ahead of the general elections.
A broader pattern
The controversies reveal three recurring patterns across the country.
The first is the emergence of rival camps within the party, particularly in states where influential political figures have recently joined the ADC.
The second is growing criticism of the party’s direct primary model, with several aspirants alleging that logistical failures, exclusion and poor coordination affected participation.
The third is the apparent spillover of national power struggles into state chapters, particularly in areas where presidential contenders and their allies command significant influence.
Taken together, these disputes suggest that the ADC’s rapid expansion may be placing significant strain on its internal structures.
Beyond primary disputes
The controversies have also exposed deeper disagreements within the opposition party over leadership and electoral strategy.
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, who recently resigned from the ADC, alleged that the party’s presidential primary was manipulated in favour of Atiku.
“I am exiting the ADC because its just-concluded primaries were massively rigged at all levels in favour of Kachalla Abubakar Atiku,” Mr Lawal said.
He argued that backing Atiku could ultimately strengthen President Bola Tinubu’s re-election prospects and described the opposition’s predicament as a “Morton’s Fork”, a dilemma in which every available option carries political costs.
His intervention suggests that some tensions within the ADC now extend beyond complaints about how the primaries were conducted to broader questions about who should lead the opposition coalition into the 2027 election.
ADC defends process
Responding to allegations of manipulation and voter disenfranchisement, Mr Abdullahi acknowledged that the process was not flawless but rejected suggestions that irregularities were deliberate.
“We are the first to admit that what we did was not perfect. There was no way it would have been perfect. We have never done it before, and no political party has attempted what we have done before in the history of Nigeria,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.
He argued that the party had undertaken what was effectively a nationwide election to choose candidates, making logistical challenges inevitable.
“There are bound to be lapses. There are bound to be system mistakes. But whenever shortcomings may have been observed, they were not deliberately contrived by the party leadership to disenfranchise anybody.”
Mr Abdullahi said the party remained proud of the exercise and insisted that any shortcomings were insufficient to invalidate the credibility of the entire process.
He added that the party would not hesitate to act where clear cases of malpractice were established.
“Where there is clear wrongdoing or clear manipulation, the party will not hesitate to invalidate the outcome of the election,” he said.
According to him, the ADC would spend the coming weeks resolving disputes and rebuilding unity ahead of the next phase of preparations for the 2027 elections.
Experts warn of consequences
A constitutional lawyer and political analyst, Chima Nnaji, said the disputes reflected broader concerns about internal democracy within the party.
According to him, some party members perceive that influential political actors have gained disproportionate control over the party’s structures.
“It all boils down to the perception that the party’s internal democratic structure has been hijacked by influential individuals,” he said.
“For this lack of internal democratic credentials, ADC has proven that it is not different from APC and many others, posing a serious threat to its capacity to mobilise and clinch power from the APC.”
Mr Nnaji also warned that unresolved disputes could create legal complications for candidates produced through contested primaries.
“Although nomination of candidates is largely an internal affair of political parties, the courts will interfere where parties fail to follow the Electoral Act or their own constitution,” he said.
“Any candidate who is a product of violations of the Act or the party constitution will be invalidated.”
He added that prolonged factional disputes and litigation could weaken the party’s electoral prospects if left unresolved.
INEC’s role
Throughout the primary season, the Independent National Electoral Commission monitored various stages of the exercises across the country.
Mr Abdullahi said INEC officials were present during the party’s primaries nationwide and had a statutory responsibility for monitoring the process.
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However, electoral law experts note that while INEC monitors party primaries, disputes arising from competing claims and parallel exercises are typically resolved through party appeal mechanisms and, where necessary, the courts.
The road ahead
For a party seeking to convince Nigerians that it represents a credible alternative to established political parties, the management of the current disputes may prove as important as the outcome of the primaries themselves.
The ADC has repeatedly criticised the APC and other parties over issues of internal democracy, candidate imposition and electoral manipulation.
Yet the controversies surrounding its own primaries suggest that building a broad coalition capable of challenging for power may be far more difficult than assembling one.
Whether the party can resolve the disputes transparently, reconcile aggrieved members and avoid prolonged litigation may ultimately shape public perceptions of its readiness to lead a national opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.