On Monday, November 3, the coalition-led takeover of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will be four months old. While many have applauded the group’s efforts in offering Nigerians a glimmer of hope for an alternative political platform ahead of the 2027 elections, the party’s slow progress and emerging internal crises are beginning to cast doubt on the coalition’s strength, Weekend Trust reports.
The opposition coalition, which boasts in its ranks former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, and former governors Peter Obi (Anambra), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), and Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa), among others, adopted the ADC on July 3 as the vehicle it intends to use to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The adoption followed the protracted crises that have plagued the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – the three political parties that came second, third, and fourth, respectively, in the 2023 presidential election.
Although the coalition-led ADC hit the ground running with a string of high-profile defections, it failed to make any notable impact in the August by-elections and rerun polls held across the country. Party officials and supporters argued that the elections came too soon, as arrangements for those contests had been concluded before the ADC’s adoption.
Hopes were rekindled in September when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) formally recognised the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the party. This recognition came despite strong opposition from the ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu; its only federal lawmaker, Leke Abejide; and Nafiu Bala, a former governorship candidate in Gombe State, who declared himself factional national chairman.
Observers note, however, that while the leadership crisis at the national level remains unresolved, several state chapters have become engulfed in factional battles. From Kaduna to Abia, Kebbi to Imo, Kogi to Ondo, and Adamawa to Cross River, party leaders continue to trade suspensions and expulsions, further fracturing state structures.
Kaduna
Crisis erupted in the Kaduna State chapter as rival factions exchanged suspensions and expulsions, deepening divisions and fuelling confusion over leadership.
The turmoil began when the State Executive Committee (SEC) expelled Deputy Chairman Ahmed Mustapha and eight other key officials for alleged gross misconduct, forgery, and financial irregularities. Those expelled included State Publicity Secretary Idris Musa, Vice Chairman (Zone 1) Sulaiman Abdullahi, Treasurer Gambo Sani, Financial Secretary Magaji Maiwada, and Legal Adviser Danlami Musa.
State Chairman Elder Patrick Ambut, who announced the expulsions, said the decision followed due process and aimed to restore discipline. ‘These individuals engaged in activities capable of undermining the unity and lawful operation of the party,’ Ambut said.
He accused Mustapha of impersonation and unauthorised interference in party affairs.
However, the expelled officials dismissed the action as illegal and retaliatory. Idris Musa, the ousted publicity secretary, described the decision as ‘laughable,’ claiming it was in response to their earlier suspension of Ambut and State Secretary Victor Oluwatuyi for alleged anti-party activities.
That faction also suspended Ambut and Oluwatuyi, accusing them of misconduct, creating parallel structures, and breaching the ADC constitution. It then appointed Mustapha as acting chairman and Rachael Didams as acting secretary pending investigation by a disciplinary committee.
The feuding groups have since traded accusations of high-handedness, forgery, and financial impropriety, each insisting on its legitimacy. The controversy deepened with the appointment of former Finance Minister and factional Labour Party chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, as Kaduna State coalition chair, alongside former state finance commissioner Bashir Sa’idu, an ally of El-Rufai, as co-chairman – a move that triggered further outrage within the state chapter.
Kogi
The Kogi chapter has also been torn by leadership disputes, with rival factions suspending one another over alleged anti-party activities and internal disagreements.
In August, the State Working Committee (SWC) reaffirmed the suspension of key members, including the party’s only elected lawmaker nationwide, Hon. Leke Abejide (Yagba Federal Constituency). State Secretary John Adaji said Abejide and four others – Dr. Idris Omede, Hon. Johnson Tayo, Lukman Usman Adedayo, and Olabode Kayode – were suspended for anti-party activities and insubordination.
However, another faction of the SWC convened separately at a hotel in Lokoja, reaffirming the expulsion of Kingsley Ogga and describing his purported return to the party as ‘a figment of his imagination.’
Factional spokesperson Johnson Tayo said Ogga had been expelled since 2022, a decision ratified at all party levels. ‘There has been no reversal of Ogga’s expulsion. A person whose membership has been revoked cannot act or speak for the party,’ he said.
Tayo further rejected the national ADC coalition movement, saying it does not reflect the will of Kogi members. He insisted that Abejide remains the party’s leader in the state as its only elected official.
‘The Kogi SWC dissociates itself from the national coalition. At the appropriate time, we will make our position known on who the party will support,’ he concluded.
Adamawa
The Adamawa State chapter has splintered into three factions, each claiming to be the legitimate leadership. The division pits loyalists of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal against supporters of Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani, while incumbent chairman Shehu Yohanna insists he remains the substantive leader.
Lawal’s bloc has endorsed Sadiq Dasin as chairman, while Binani’s group backs Saidu Komsiri. Yohanna, however, maintains he remains the duly recognised state chairman.
The national leadership has since waded in, recognising Dasin as interim chairman, effectively siding with Lawal’s bloc, which also enjoys the backing of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
‘It has come to the notice of the national headquarters of the ADC that there appears to be a growing division in the ranks of the party leadership in Adamawa State,’ the party said in a statement.
It added that, ‘It will be recalled that at its meeting of October 8, 2025, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party approved that Interim Executive Committees be set up to manage the affairs of the party in the states for now.
‘After due investigations, the party considers the Saturday, October 25, process supervised by the National Vice Chairman for the North East, which produced Barrister Sadiq Dasin as the interim party chairman in Adamawa State, to be in line with the NWC approval and guidelines.
‘In view of the foregoing, the party wishes to encourage all party members who have involved themselves in a separate arrangement to have a rethink and follow the path of reconciliation. Similarly, the party encourages the new interim chairman to extend the hand of fellowship to all and address genuine grievances.
‘The party would like to restate its commitment to fairness and justice to all members, as well as its readiness to address genuine concerns. The party will, however, not tolerate any act of indiscipline that is likely to jeopardise ongoing efforts to build a strong and truly democratic party.’
Kebbi
In Kebbi, the ADC’s troubles also centre on leadership contests and factional suspensions. On August 12, 2025, pioneer members suspended state chairman Sufiyanu Bala and his deputy and secretary, accusing them of taking unilateral decisions and allowing ‘Abuja nomadic politicians’ to dominate – a veiled reference to former Attorney General Abubakar Malami (SAN), a coalition leader who had recently joined the ADC.
By October 28, the chapter announced the suspension of Sule-Iko Sadeeq, who allegedly paraded himself as state chairman without authorisation. The move reaffirmed Bala as the constitutional chair and urged security agencies to restrain Sadeeq from acting in that capacity.
Ondo
In Ondo State, the crisis has centred on leadership disputes and allegations of imposed coordinators across local government areas. In July 2025, the chapter reaffirmed Chief (Mrs.) Ganiyu Sidikatu Ojo as the duly recognised chairperson and dismissed unauthorised lists of local government coordinators as invalid.
The chapter argued that the lists did not emanate from the State Executive Committee and thus held no legitimacy.
In September, tensions escalated when three members were hospitalised after alleged attacks by APC-aligned thugs during a ward meeting in Akure South.
The combination of internal disputes and external intimidation presents a complex challenge for the party. Although the executive has been reaffirmed, control over local structures remains contested.
Cross River
Penultimate week, the Cross River chapter announced the suspension of the party’s National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dr. Usani Uguru Usani, for allegedly undermining the unity and progress of the party.
The suspension, which took immediate effect, followed deliberations at a State Working Committee meeting held on October 15, 2025.
In a statement issued in Abuja, State Publicity Secretary James Otudor said the committee found Usani’s conduct to be in violation of the ADC constitution and inconsistent with its core values. He cited multiple petitions alleging anti-party activities, insubordination, and actions detrimental to the party’s image and electoral fortunes.
However, the national leadership rejected the suspension, insisting the state chapter lacked the power to carry it out.
Before the fallout, the ADC in Cross River had already become the focus of inter-party tensions after a wave of defections from the PDP sparked accusations of sabotage and infiltration by the PDP leadership in Calabar.
Imo
The Imo chapter is also mired in a leadership crisis between two factions – one led by Professor James Okoroma and another aligned with former Governor Emeka Ihedioha, who is accused of orchestrating a parallel caretaker committee under Ogbonna Vitalis Chima.
The split deepened after Ihedioha, who quit the PDP before its 2023 governorship primary, aligned his Rebuild Imo Movement with the ADC coalition to revive his political ambitions. The established leadership has, however, disavowed the new faction and warned against unauthorised meetings, further heightening tensions.
Abia
In Abia, the crisis is less about expulsions and more about structural upheaval following the ADC’s coalition adoption. The South-East zonal leadership established a three-man Investigative and Disciplinary Committee to address grievances triggered by an influx of coalition partners.
The committee, chaired by Uche Edeh with members Barr. Anyanwu Chioma Joy and Chilos Godsent, was tasked with reviewing petitions and making recommendations within 14 days.
According to the zonal leadership, the influx of coalition actors created ‘a new wave of power struggle’ and divergent interests. Although the crisis has not yet produced open expulsions, analysts warn that without swift reconciliation, Abia could soon mirror the factional battles seen in other states.
Party moves to contain fallout, focuses on grassroots rebuilding
These crises have fuelled growing concern over whether the coalition-led ADC can meet the expectations of Nigerians who initially saw it as a viable alternative to the APC ahead of 2027. The situation is particularly worrisome as the once-dominant PDP continues to lose governors and legislators to the ruling party, while high-profile defections into the ADC have slowed.
However, the party’s national leadership insists the situation is neither unexpected nor alarming.
Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, told Weekend Trust that the leadership tussles in some state chapters are ‘not unusual.’
‘We’re creating a new kind of political party, and people are coming from different backgrounds. Differences are expected,’ he said.
He added that with only seven out of 36 states plus the FCT reportedly facing such disputes, ‘that’s not bad at all.’
‘There are issues,’ he admitted, ‘but they’ll be resolved. That’s why party leadership exists. A political party is essentially a mechanism for aggregating and managing conflicting interests. It’s our responsibility to address such issues, and we’re not worried about them.’
Abdullahi also dismissed suggestions that the party’s momentum has waned, describing the current phase as one of ‘quiet rebuilding’ at the grassroots.
‘What happened at the inauguration was that Nigerians got to know there’s now an opposition coalition under the ADC. After that, the real work began. You don’t build a political party by staying in Abuja or appearing on TV,’ he said.
‘Across the country today, the ADC is planting its roots. That’s the most important work – building structures at the grassroots. So, if it seems quiet, it’s because most of the work is happening below the radar, not in front of the cameras. Building a political party isn’t a press conference; it’s sustained fieldwork.’
Professor Abubakar Kari, a political analyst at the University of Abuja, shares Abdullahi’s view, noting that coalition politics takes time rather than spectacle. He urged Nigerians to be patient with the process.
Kari added that if the ADC can remain organised and resolve its internal divisions before the 2027 elections, it could still turn the wave of defections to the APC to its advantage.
‘Many politicians joining the ruling party, or those already there, may soon feel sidelined, creating opportunities for the opposition,’ he said.