A fresh crisis has erupted in the Kaduna State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over the issuance of a Certificate of Return to former governorship candidate Hon. Isa Ashiru. Supporters of another aspirant, Hon. Idris Shuaibu Abubakar Mikati, have rejected the certificate issued to Ashiru on October 4, 2026, describing it as illegal and procedurally flawed.
The Mikati camp, comprising the Kaduna State ADC Youth Vanguard and support groups across the 23 local government areas, alleged that the ADC national leadership issued the certificate despite a pending internal dispute and court case over the party's May 2026 governorship primary in Kaduna State. The development has reopened the controversy over the primary's outcome, in which Ashiru was declared the winner with 86,113 votes.
The coalition said four aggrieved aspirants, including Mikati, subsequently challenged the result before the party's Electoral Appeal Committee chaired by Dr. Mustapha Fagge. According to the group, the appeal committee reviewed the petitions and evidence presented to it and overturned Ashiru's declaration, declaring Mikati the party's authentic candidate.
Supporters alleged that the National Working Committee (NWC) had not yet formally considered and ratified the appeal committee's report, despite being the party organ responsible for its day-to-day administration. They further claimed that the NWC had not met for more than six months, alleging that it issued the certificate without resolving the conflicting positions arising from the primary and subsequent appeal.
The group queried how a party can establish an internal dispute mechanism and then ignore its own verdict, describing the certificate's issuance as "ultra vires and without due process." The coalition therefore rejected the certificate issued to Ashiru, insisting it was "null, void and of no effect" because, according to them, it lacked a ratified decision by the NWC or National Executive Committee (NEC).
The coalition also called on the ADC national leadership to reverse the decision, convene an emergency NWC meeting, and consider the Fagge-led Appeal Committee's report. It said Mikati had approached the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, to challenge the development, warning that any attempt to submit Ashiru's name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could face further legal challenge.
The crisis has added to the existing tensions within the party, with the outcome of the May 2026 governorship primary still being disputed. The party's leadership has yet to comment on the development, but it is expected to take a position on the matter soon.
Key points
- The crisis is over the issuance of a Certificate of Return to Isa Ashiru.
- The Mikati camp has rejected the certificate, citing a pending internal dispute and court case.
- The development has reopened controversy over the party's May 2026 governorship primary in Kaduna State.
