The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has directed the two factions of the party in Jigawa to withdraw the court cases instituted against each other over the party’s governorship candidacy.
The directive followed a reconciliation meeting between the two factions, where the parties reportedly agreed to maintain the status quo and accept the list of candidates submitted to and published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in the interest of the unity and progress of the party.
Speaking with TRIBUNE ONLINE, a member of the ADC National Executive Committee and Northwest Organising Secretary, Hon. Ali Tukur, confirmed the development.
Tukur said the meeting was presided over by Atiku, alongside the National Chairman of the party, Senator David Mark, and other national leaders of the ADC.
He explained that the two leaders of the opposing groups in Jigawa, Senator Sabo Muhammad Nakudu and Hon. Bashir Adamu Jimbo, agreed to the terms of the reconciliation and signed an agreement to end the legal disputes.
According to him, one of the cases was instituted by Nakudu’s camp against the Jimbo-led faction over the list of candidates uploaded to the INEC portal, including the governorship running mate and some National and State Assembly candidates.
He added that the Jimbo camp had also instituted a case challenging the eligibility of Senator Nakudu to contest the governorship election, alleging irregularities in the primary election that produced him as the party’s governorship candidate.
Tukur said the intervention of Atiku and other national leaders had helped to resolve the disagreement between the two camps and paved the way for reconciliation within the Jigawa chapter of the party.
Speaking after the meeting, Atiku expressed satisfaction with the reconciliation between Nakudu and Jimbo.
He said: ‘I am pleased to share this moment with two leading members of our ADC family in Jigawa State-our governorship candidate, Senator Muhammad Sabo Nakudu, and Hon. Bashir Adamu Jimbo.
‘Elections and internal contests are an inevitable part of every democratic process. They may produce differences, but the strength of a political family is ultimately measured by its capacity to rise above those differences, reconcile competing interests and unite around a common purpose.
‘Today, we have chosen unity over division and cooperation over acrimony.
‘The contest is behind us. The task ahead is greater than any individual ambition, and it demands that every member of our party bring their strength, experience and commitment to the collective cause.
‘We reaffirm that we are one ADC family in Jigawa State, across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
‘With mutual respect, renewed trust and a shared determination to work together, we move forward as one-united in purpose, focused on the task ahead and committed to building a stronger party for the challenges before us.’