YOLA, Nigeria — A leadership crisis has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State, with two rival factions laying claim to the chairmanship of the party, deepening divisions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The dispute pits Sadiq Dasin and Saidu Komsiri against each other in a contest that has polarised members and drawn in several prominent political figures, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal.
Lawal, who also serves as the ADC’s national vice-chairman, declared that his faction, led by Dasin, constitutes the authentic leadership of the party in the state.
He dismissed the rival camp as illegitimate.
“Any other group claiming to lead the ADC in Adamawa is null and void,” Lawal said.
Among those aligning with the Dasin-led faction are former Adamawa governor Bindow Jibrilla, former senator Abdul-Aziz Nyako, and former senator Elisha Abbo.
The group also received an endorsement from Atiku, who expressed his support publicly.
“It is my hope and prayer that their inauguration will strengthen our party’s structure and unify all ADC members in Adamawa State,” Atiku wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
“I fully and unequivocally support this leadership as inaugurated.”
However, the opposing faction, chaired by Komsiri, has rejected Lawal’s claim to legitimacy.
The group accused the former SGF of acting without the authority of the party’s zonal or national organs.
“The claim that Babachir Lawal is acting on behalf of the zonal and national leadership of the party is untrue,” the Komsiri-led faction said in a statement following a meeting in Yola.
Komsiri, reportedly backed by Aisha Binani, a former senator and House of Representatives member, pledged to uphold the ADC’s constitution and restore unity within the party.
“I’ll reconcile aggrieved members and promote unity among all stakeholders,” he said.
“I will supervise membership registration, mobilise massive membership and renewal exercise in the state, and prepare and conduct ward, local government, and state congresses to elect substantive executives.”
Party insiders say the dispute, which dates back to the ADC’s formation in Adamawa, has hampered its organisational development and weakened its presence across local governments.
The deepening rift has prompted concern among party stakeholders about the ADC’s preparedness for the 2027 elections, with fears that prolonged infighting could derail its prospects of mounting a credible challenge to the state’s dominant political blocs.
As of Tuesday, October 28, 2025, the party’s national leadership had not issued an official statement addressing the crisis or clarifying which faction holds formal recognition.
