ADC Sokoto appointments dispute deepens as state chapter rejects imposed committee leaders and threatens court action over party leadership crisis
The Sokoto State chapter of the African Democratic Congress has intensified the ADC Sokoto appointments dispute, rejecting the nomination of Abdullahi Maigwandu and Aliyu Rabah as Chairman and Secretary of the party’s Membership, Mobilisation, Revitalisation and Registration Committee in the state and warning that legal action may follow if the decision is not reversed.
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Umar Faruk, Chairman of the African Democratic Congress in Sokoto State, addressed journalists at the party’s state secretariat on Monday, describing the appointments as imposed from outside the state without consultation with the recognised executive.
Umar Faruk said the move violated the party’s constitution and undermined internal democracy. The chairman argued that sidelining established state structures posed a direct threat to cohesion within the party.
The Membership, Mobilisation, Revitalisation and Registration Committee is regarded as a strategic organ of the African Democratic Congress, responsible for expanding grassroots support, registering new members and strengthening party structures ahead of future elections.
Tensions within the state chapter have escalated in recent weeks amid leadership disagreements and defections from rival parties. Abdullahi Maigwandu, a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, was appointed chairman of the committee shortly after resigning from the People’s Democratic Party.
Aliyu Rabah also defected from the People’s Democratic Party prior to his appointment.
Umar Faruk questioned the legitimacy of the appointments, stating that the individuals were not properly registered members of the African Democratic Congress in Sokoto State and that no stakeholders’ meeting or transparent process preceded their emergence.
The chairman warned the party’s national leadership against actions capable of plunging the state chapter into crisis.
He stated that all legal options remained under consideration to safeguard what he described as the integrity of the party in Sokoto.
Yusuf Alkali, Secretary of the African Democratic Congress in Sokoto State, said preparations were under way to approach the court over the continued claim to leadership by former chairman Bello Ishyaku Keegan.
Yusuf Alkali maintained that judicial clarification was necessary to restore order and certainty.
Despite the deepening rift, the state leadership insisted that the party remains open to new members, provided that due process and proper registration are observed.
Umar Faruk stressed that abandoning established procedures would weaken the party’s foundation at a critical political moment.
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The unfolding dispute underscores the fragile balance within opposition party structures in Sokoto State, as the African Democratic Congress seeks to consolidate gains while managing an increasingly delicate internal contest for control.
