Rift in Adamawa ADC over ‘replacement’ of gov’ship candidate

Riots erupted within the Adamawa ADC over the alleged replacement of the party's governorship candidate, Suleman Umar, with Modibbo Hamman Tukur Ribadu on the INEC portal. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had expected all parties to upload their governorship and state assembly candidates by Saturday, but the deadline was extended to Tuesday, 11th.

Umar's position became precarious after former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, left the party and expressed his dissatisfaction with Umar. Lawal suggested that Atiku Abubakar's administration might replace Umar to retaliate for his departure. Lawal claimed that the ADC national secretariat had succumbed to pressure from Atiku and uploaded Ribadu's name on the INEC portal.

However, INEC officials in Adamawa State were unable to confirm the existence of a finalized candidate list, and Atiku's media office referred inquiries to Daniel Bwala, the National Vice Chairman for the North East region, who declined to comment. The internal disputes within the ADC in Adamawa State, a crucial stronghold for the party, intensified as factionalism emerged among party members.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Babachir Lawan, and Senator Aisha Ahmed Dahiru, also known as Binani, were reportedly involved in these factional divisions. Despite these tensions, Umar's campaign team maintained that he remained the viable candidate for the party, emphasizing the integrity of the primary process and urging supporters not to be swayed by unfounded claims.