Sokoto ADC Faction Rejects Suspended Chairman in Internal Power Tussle

In a fresh leadership crisis that has hit the Sokoto State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a faction of the party has publicly rejected the return of Bello Isiyaku as state chairman. This internal power struggle underscores a broader, ongoing leadership tussle within the ADC, a party that has faced a series of disputes at both the state and national levels, particularly since the 2023 general elections. The Sokoto chapter’s crisis deepened following a Sunday press conference, where a faction reaffirmed its loyalty to another chairman and accused some party elders of fueling the division.

Speaking at the press conference, Yusuf Abdulkadir Alkali, the State Secretary of the faction, explained that Isiyaku’s return was unconstitutional. He stated that Isiyaku had been suspended before the 2023 general elections over internal disputes that arose from his governorship ambition on the ADC platform. This action, Alkali noted, had created rancour within the party, leading to his suspension. Following the suspension, the ADC national body, under the leadership of Ralph Nwosu, had at its national convention in Zaria in September 2022, ratified the appointment of Hon. Umar Muhammad Faruk as the recognized state chairman. Alkali reasserted Faruk’s legitimacy, stating that the state executive committee recently held a meeting where 18 out of 25 members voted to reaffirm him as the authentic chairman.

The Sokoto crisis is not an isolated incident but rather a microcosm of the deeper leadership issues plaguing the ADC at a national level. The party has been grappling with internal wrangling since the conclusion of the last general election, with various factions laying claim to the national leadership. According to Dependable NG, the party has been embroiled in a complex leadership tussle that has seen a Federal High Court in Abuja question the legitimacy of the David Mark-led interim leadership. The court’s intervention followed a suit filed by aggrieved party members, challenging the recognition of the new leadership by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The confusion at the national level appears to be trickling down to the states, where different factions are aligning with rival national leaders.

Alkali accused certain party elders in Sokoto of attempting to “smuggle” Bello Isiyaku back into the leadership structure, describing the move as a violation of the party’s constitution. He stressed that the majority of the members remain loyal to Faruk and the national leadership, and that they would resist any attempt to undermine the decision. The state executive committee, he added, has unanimously resolved to reject Bello Isiyaku’s claim and restate its loyalty to Hon. Umar Muhammad Faruk. This public rejection highlights the deep divisions within the Sokoto chapter and the ongoing battle for control. The lingering leadership battle, which is also reportedly affecting other state chapters like Kebbi, signals a struggle for the soul of the party as it attempts to position itself ahead of the next electoral season. The crisis in Sokoto is a clear example of the challenges facing the party’s cohesion, with factions split between loyalty to different leadership groups and internal ambitions undermining unity.