A governorship aspirant of the African Democratic Congress in Jigawa State, Bashir Adamu, has rejected the outcome of the party’s primary election and petitioned the State Election Appeal Committee to nullify the exercise over alleged irregularities.
Adamu, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/Yankwashi Federal Constituency, accused party officials of bias, interference and complicity in acts of thuggery, insisting that the process that produced Senator Sabo Muhammad Nakudu as the party’s governorship candidate was flawed.
Arewa PUNCH reports that the ADC recently conducted primary elections nationwide to elect candidates for various positions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In Jigawa State, the exercise was conducted across the 27 local government areas, with the results announced two days later by the primary election committee chaired by a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Ahmed Zaki.
Announcing the outcome on May 27, the committee said 55,476 valid votes were cast during the exercise.
According to the results, Adamu polled 19,537 votes, while Nakudu secured 35,939 votes to emerge the party’s governorship candidate.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, Adamu submitted a petition dated June 3, 2026, to the State Election Appeal Committee, calling for the cancellation of the primary and the conduct of a fresh exercise.
In the petition, a copy of which was obtained by Arewa PUNCH in Dutse, the aspirant described the election as “flawed and undemocratic.”
“The entire primary election process was marred by irregularities, violations of party guidelines and undue interference by party officials,” he stated.
Adamu alleged that the chairman of the primary election committee compromised his neutrality by acting on directives from the party’s State Executive Committee.
“The chairman acted on directives from the State Executive Committee and abandoned the neutrality expected of his office,” he alleged.
He further claimed that the declaration of Nakudu as the winner did not reflect the wishes of party members who participated in the exercise.
“The declaration did not reflect the true will of party members who participated in the exercise,” he stated.
The former lawmaker also accused the State Executive Committee of working to ensure Nakudu’s emergence as the party’s candidate.
“The State Executive Committee was compromised and allegedly directed its efforts towards ensuring the emergence of another aspirant, Sabo Nakudu, as the party’s candidate,” the petition read.
Adamu, who claimed to have built the party’s structures across the state’s 27 local government areas, further alleged that state and local government officials entrusted with election materials influenced the outcome of the poll.
He also accused officials responsible for distributing election materials of deliberately delaying their delivery, particularly in the North-West Senatorial District.
According to him, the delay left many party members waiting for hours without accreditation.
“As a result, the materials reportedly arrived late at night after many party members had waited for hours without accreditation,” he stated.
He said many eligible voters became frustrated and left before voting commenced, creating an opportunity for manipulation of the process.
Adamu further alleged that political thugs loyal to his opponent took advantage of the situation by snatching election materials and fabricating results.
“Political thugs loyal to my opponent took advantage of the situation by snatching election materials and fabricating results in favour of their preferred candidate,” he alleged.
The aspirant also claimed that incidents of violence and intimidation disrupted voting in several parts of the state, forcing electoral officials to cancel the exercise in four local government areas.
He argued that the disruptions rendered the primary election inconclusive.
“Such acts of thuggery undermine the democratic process and infringe upon the rights of party members,” he stated.
Adamu further questioned the legitimacy of the results announced by the State Executive Committee, insisting that only the party’s duly constituted primary election committee had the authority to declare the outcome of the exercise.
He urged the appeal committee to nullify the election and order a fresh primary, alleging that the conduct of the poll violated both ADC guidelines and provisions of the Electoral Act.
The aspirant, however, reaffirmed his loyalty to the party and expressed confidence that the appeal committee would address the issues raised in his petition.
Responding, the Chairman of the ADC in Jigawa State, Muhammad Gumel, appealed for calm among aggrieved members and urged Adamu and other dissatisfied stakeholders to remain committed to the party.
Gumel described Adamu as an elder statesman and influential figure within the party, urging him to accept the outcome of the primary in the spirit of sportsmanship.
“I am pleading with Hon. Adamu, as an elder and a respected figure in both ADC and Jigawa politics, to exercise patience and see the result as the will of Almighty God,” Gumel said.
He added that disagreements were common in competitive elections and should not be allowed to divide the party.
“In any contest for a single position, only one person can emerge. Those who do not succeed may naturally have complaints, but as a party we treat all members equally and we will continue to support whoever emerges through the process,” he said.
The development is the latest in a series of post-primary disputes being witnessed across political parties as aspirants challenge the outcomes of nomination exercises ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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