2027: Zamfara ADC Weakened By Internal Strife

With barely a year to the 2027 general elections, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Zamfara State is at war with itself. What began as a disagreement over leadership and party control has now snowballed into parallel factions, defections and court battles, leaving the party fractured and vulnerable. NICHOLAS DEKERA reports.

With barely six months to the 2027 general elections, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Zamfara State is mired in an internal crisis that threatens to weaken its prospects of making a meaningful impact at the polls.

Rather than consolidating its grassroots structures and positioning itself as a formidable opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the party is grappling with factional leadership disputes, allegations of candidate imposition, and a weak presence across the state’s 14 local government areas.

A political analyst, Saidu Bala, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that unless the crisis is urgently resolved, the ADC risks entering the 2027 elections “a party in name only”.

Two Chairmen, One Party

At the centre of the crisis is a dispute over the party’s authentic leadership in the state.

One faction is led by Hon. Kabiru Garba, who maintains that he remains the duly recognised state chairman of the party.

The other faction is led by Comrade Anas Haidara Kaura, who claims to speak for the party in line with the national leadership under Senator David Mark.

The leadership dispute has reportedly stalled critical party activities, including preparations for the primaries, mobilisation and other electoral processes, while ward and local government executives remain uncertain about which directives to follow.

In a statement issued on 1 September, the Anas faction dissociated the party from a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Gusau and reaffirmed its loyalty to the national leadership and to candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, in a counter-statement issued on 2 September, the Kabiru Garba faction cited judgments of the Federal High Court delivered on 29 April 2026, as well as subsequent rulings of the Court of Appeal, which it said affirmed its legitimacy.

Candidate Imposition, Defections

The crisis has also reportedly triggered defections from the party, with allegations of candidate imposition ahead of the 2027 primaries.

Sources within the party told LEADERSHIP Weekend that some aspirants and supporters have defected to the APC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) over alleged irregularities in the distribution of party tickets.

A party loyalist from Zurmi Local Government Area, Jibril Lauwali, alleged that tickets for key positions, including the Gusau Federal Constituency and several seats in the state House of Assembly, had been “allocated” before delegates’ congresses.

A chieftain of the party in Maru LGA, Garba Idris, said the development was costing the party some of its strongest mobilisers and financiers.

“The result is that we are losing our best mobilisers and financiers before the campaign even begins,” he said.

Weak Grassroots Structure

Another major challenge facing the ADC is its limited grassroots presence across the state.

While the APC has continued to strengthen its structures through ward-level meetings and political activities, the ADC’s activities appear largely concentrated on social media platforms and on statements issued from Abuja, according to party sources and political observers.

The party is said to have no functioning offices in many of the local government areas, while its youth and women’s wings remain weak.

A Gusau-based political analyst said the lack of a robust polling-unit structure could hurt the party on election day.

“That is why ADC can’t bite at the polling units. You cannot protect votes you did not organise to secure,” the analyst said.

Unlike the APC, which has access to significant political structures and resources at both the federal and state levels, the ADC reportedly relies heavily on the personal resources of aspirants and other supporters.

The party has yet to make significant progress on possible alliances with other opposition parties to avoid splitting opposition votes in the state.

As a result, its campaign activities remain limited, with few billboards, sustained radio campaigns or major rallies outside Gusau metropolis.

 Policy Vacuum

Perhaps more troubling for the party is the lack of a clearly defined, Zamfara-specific policy agenda ahead of the election.

Although the ADC has criticised the government over insecurity and other governance issues, it has yet to clearly articulate how it would do things differently in areas such as security, agriculture, education, healthcare and youth employment.

A voter in Talata Mafara, Uzairu Sabiu, said voters wanted concrete solutions rather than criticism of the government.

“What is ADC bringing to the table for Zamfara? All we hear is criticism. We need solutions,” he said.

Sabiu acknowledged that the party had capable individuals but argued that political strength depended on organisation.

“ADC has good people, but good people without organisation will lose to an organised average team. Right now, ADC is fighting itself more than it is fighting for votes,” he said.

“Until ADC settles its house, it cannot bite the APC. You cannot go to war with a divided army,” he added.

 Five Steps To Survival

Stakeholders within the party have identified five urgent steps they believe could help the ADC reposition itself before the 2027 elections.

They include the emergence of a single state executive recognised by the national leadership, INEC, and the courts; aggressive grassroots mobilisation across the state’s 147 wards; transparent party primaries to halt further defections; the development of a Zamfara-specific policy document; and talks with other opposition parties to prevent vote-splitting.

With time running out, the ADC faces the prospect of entering the 2027 elections fragmented, poorly funded and without the grassroots structure required to compete effectively.

For now, the leadership dispute remains before the courts, and the rival factions continue to insist on the legitimacy of their respective positions.

However, whether the ADC can resolve its internal crisis and emerge as a serious contender in Zamfara ahead of the 2027 elections remains uncertain.