Katsina ADC: Rival factions present 2 gov’ship candidates

The internal crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Katsina State has taken a new turn following the emergence of two governorship candidates from rival factions of the party. The development, observers say,  has exposed deep divisions within the opposition party, with both camps insisting on the legitimacy of their candidates and leadership structures, […]

The internal crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Katsina State has taken a new turn following the emergence of two governorship candidates from rival factions of the party.

The development, observers say,  has exposed deep divisions within the opposition party, with both camps insisting on the legitimacy of their candidates and leadership structures, raising fresh concerns over the ADC’s readiness to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Investigations revealed that the two candidates emerged through separate consensus arrangements.

It was gathered that one faction, led by Musa Usman Wamba, is set to announce Salisu Lawal Uli as its governorship candidate, while another faction, under the leadership of Mohammed Rimi, endorsed former Senator Ahmed Babba Kaita as its flag bearer for the 2027 governorship election.

A reliable source within the Rimi faction, said the endorsement of Babba Kaita followed a high-level meeting involving the state leadership of the ADC and prominent national political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ADC National Chairman, David Mark.

Although no public announcement was made to that effect, the source told our reporter that the meeting had also approved Ahmed Aminu Yar’adua as the running mate to the governorship candidate. The source described this as an early mobilisation strategy by the ADC ahead of the next election cycle.

It was also revealed that the party had endorsed former DSS boss Lawal Musa Daura for the Daura Senatorial District, Abubakar Sadiq Yar’adua for the Katsina Senatorial District, and retired Major General Maharazu Tsiga for the Funtua Senatorial District seat.

Speaking on the development, a close associate of the Wamba-led faction, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Mohammed Rimi-led faction is illegitimate and alleged that its decision to nominate a governorship candidate violated the ADC constitution.

However, sources within the Rimi-led faction dismissed the claims and accused the Wamba faction of creating unnecessary division within the party alleging that the Wamba faction is being backed by elements within the ruling APC to weaken the ADC’s chances of unseating Governor Dikko Umaru Radda in 2027.

Party officials at the state level have remained silent on the crisis, leaving supporters of both camps to continue defending the legitimacy of their respective candidates.

A Kano-based political analyst, Abba Aminu Kankarofi, said such an unfolding dispute, if not rectified in good time, could significantly affect the ADC’s prospects in Katsina as the party seeks to position itself as a formidable opposition force against the APC.

The emerging question, however, is whether the ADC can overcome its internal divisions and present a united front capable of challenging Governor Radda and ending the APC’s long-standing dominance in Katsina State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

When contacted, a factional leader of the party in Katsina, Musa Wamba, confirmed that Uli is the party’s consensus gubernatorial candidate, adding that they followed all necessary procedures within the legal framework to arrive at the decision.

Wamba maintained that as far as the ADC is concerned, he remains the state party chairman, and he called on all well-meaning party members to join hands in ensuring that the party emerges victorious at all levels in the upcoming 2027 general elections.