Power Struggle Rocks Kaduna ADC as Alleged Moves to Sidelined El-Rufai Camp Deepen

A fierce internal power battle is brewing within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State amid mounting allegations of a coordinated effort to weaken and politically outmaneuver loyalists of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai ahead of the 2027 elections.

Multiple party insiders say widening cracks within the Kaduna ADC have escalated into an intense supremacy contest over the control of governorship, National Assembly, and State Assembly tickets, with competing blocs now battling for dominance long before the formal primaries.

At the center of the unfolding intrigue is Salihu Mohammed Lukman, a key figure within the ADC national structure and member of the party’s Manifesto Committee, who sources allege is leveraging influence from the national headquarters to shape Kaduna’s political direction and candidate permutations.

The alleged maneuvering has heightened anxiety within the El-Rufai bloc, amid claims that several loyalists of the former governor are being systematically sidelined despite their strategic role in strengthening the party’s structure in the state.

Among those reportedly affected are former Commissioner Ja’afaru Sani, former Chief of Staff Bashir Saidu, and Hafsat Baba — all widely regarded as influential figures within the El-Rufai political network.

Supporters of the bloc also point to the ongoing legal and political troubles surrounding some of El-Rufai’s allies, including Bashir Saidu, as further evidence that the camp is increasingly under pressure both within and outside the party structure.

Insiders further disclosed that the emerging calculations appear tilted in favour of former PDP governorship candidate Isa Ashiru, whose recent entry into the ADC is said to have significantly altered the party’s internal balance of power.

Despite being a new entrant, Ashiru is reportedly being projected by influential forces within the party as the preferred governorship option ahead of 2027.

Fresh tensions are also said to have emerged between Kaduna Central Senator Lawal Adamu Usman and Salihu Lukman, with sources alleging that a broader restructuring agenda is underway to redraw the party’s political hierarchy in Kaduna.

According to party insiders, forces aligned with Lukman are allegedly pushing to replace Senator Lawal Adamu with Shuaibu Idris Mikati, while similar moves are reportedly being considered against Senator Abdu Kwari, with Senator Khalid Soba emerging as the preferred alternative.

The crisis took a dramatic turn following the sudden suspension of the Kaduna ADC electoral process by the party’s national leadership.

In a notice issued by Dr. Mohammad Umar, Secretary of the Kaduna State ADC Electoral Committee, aspirants and stakeholders were informed that the committee had been directed by the National Secretary of the party to suspend the election process pending further instructions from the national headquarters.

The abrupt development has further fueled suspicion among stakeholders, particularly within the El-Rufai camp, who now see the intervention as part of a broader strategy to frustrate their political consolidation within the party while allowing powerful interests at the national level to dictate the outcome of candidate selection.

Our correspondent gathered that, with distrust deepening and rival blocs digging in, observers warn that the ADC in Kaduna may be heading toward a full-scale internal confrontation capable of fracturing the party’s fragile coalition before the 2027 battle fully begins.

Meanwhile, speaking with our correspondent on telephone on the issue, ADC State Publicity Secretary, Darius Kurah said agreements and disagreements were normal in politics, “There is no plan to replace Senator Lawal Adamu Usman with Shu’aibu Idris Mikati. Secondly, we shifted our primaries to give room for aspirants to decide among themselves to bring consensus candidates instead of going into direct primaries. The aspirants are meeting and where consensus fails the party will adopt direct primaries. We want the unity of the party after the primaries. On the issue of agreements and disagreements it is normal in politics” he stated.

However, several attempts to speak with The African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Vice Chairman North West, and an ally of former governor El-Rufai, Jafaru Sani, were not successful as he did not pick or return calls put through his telephone.