Dumebi Kachikwu, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has vowed to challenge the party’s takeover by a coalition of defectors in court.
The coalition, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has taken over the party’s leadership, with Senator David Mark as the interim national chair. Kachikwu claims the takeover is designed to give Atiku a platform to contest the 2027 presidential election, which he believes is a betrayal of balance and equity.
Kachikwu objects to the takeover, citing lack of southern participation in future leadership as a major concern.
He believes the coalition’s actions amount to recycled leadership and ethnic-based politics.
Kachikwu has confirmed that legal action is under serious consideration. His camp plans to demand that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) clarify who currently occupies the position of party chairman.
If a leadership vacuum is confirmed, the ADC state caucus will convene a national convention to elect new officers and restore order to the party.
Meanwhile some state chairmen, including Mrs. Hanatu Gagara from Plateau State, have backed the coalition’s action, describing it as historic and an outcome of years of diligence and hard work.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Mr. Sunday Dare, has dismissed comparisons between the ADC and the 2013 merger that birthed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), calling the move a desperate and self-serving power grab.
The ADC is set for a potentially tumultuous period, with Kachikwu’s faction exploring legal options and the coalition pushing forward with its plans.
The outcome will likely have significant implications for the party’s future and Nigeria’s political landscape.
