Fresh crisis hits Kaduna ADC as Mikati camp challenges Ashiru’s candidacy

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna state is facing fresh internal crisis as supporters of governorship aspirant Hon. Idris Shuaibu Abubakar Mikati have challenged the issuance of a Certificate of Return to Hon. Isa Ashiru as the party’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

The Kaduna ADC Youth Vanguard and Mikati support groups, in a statement issued by its leader, Usman Sani, described the purported issuance of the certificate to Ashiru on October 4, 2026, as procedurally flawed and urged the party’s national leadership to reverse the decision.

The coalition said Ashiru was declared winner of the party’s May 2026 governorship primary with 86,113 votes, but claimed that four aggrieved aspirants, including Mikati, subsequently appealed the outcome before the party’s Electoral Appeal Committee.

According to the group, the committee, chaired by Dr Mustapha Fagge, reviewed the petitions and evidence submitted before it and overturned Ashiru’s declaration, instead recognising Mikati as the candidate.

The supporters alleged that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had yet to formally convene to consider and ratify the appeal committee’s report before the certificate was issued to Ashiru.

They also said Mikati had approached the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, over the dispute, warning that submitting Ashiru’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while the matter remained unresolved could trigger further legal challenges.

The coalition maintained that Mikati remained the rightful candidate based on what it described as the outcome of the party’s internal appeal process.

It called on the ADC national leadership to convene an emergency NWC meeting to consider the appeal committee’s report and address the dispute, accusing the party leadership of bypassing its internal dispute-resolution mechanism.

The group, however, urged its supporters across Kaduna State to remain calm and law-abiding while the matter is addressed through the appropriate party and legal processes.