…Cites pending court case.
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Kaduna State over its 2027 governorship ticket has deepened, as supporters of Hon. Idris Shuaibu Abubakar Mikati rejected the purported issuance of Certificate of Return to Hon. Isa Ashiru.
In a press statement issued on October 7, 2026, by the Kaduna State ADC Youth Vanguard and Coalition of Mikati Support Groups, the group described the issuance of the certificate on October 4, 2026, as illegal, procedurally flawed and done, despite a pending court case.
The coalition said the action by the administrative desk of the National Secretariat of the ADC, purportedly acting for the National Working Committee, NWC, and National Executive Committee, NEC, is a betrayal of internal democracy, a violation of the ADC Constitution and a direct assault on the will of lawful delegates.
“We are aware that there has not been a National Working Committee meeting of the party for over six months,” the group stated.
According to the statement, after the May 2026 primaries, the Primary Election Committee had declared Ashiru winner, with 86,113 votes, but four aggrieved aspirants, including Mikati, petitioned the Electoral Appeal Committee duly constituted by the NWC.
The coalition said the Appeal Committee, chaired by Dr. Mustapha Fagge, reviewed all evidence and formally overturned Ashiru’s declaration and declared Mikati as the authentic and rightful candidate, based on evidence, legal advice by the party’s lawyers, including the National Legal Adviser, security agencies’ reports and other documents.
It added that the NWC, being the day-to-day administrative organ responsible for ratifying results, has failed to convene a definitive meeting to consider and ratify the Appeal Committee’s report, admitting that its hands were full with appeals from other states.
“Instead of resolving this stalemate, the national leadership has now chosen to create a fait accompli by issuing a certificate, based on a contested report that has been nullified by its own appeal panel,” the group said.
“How can a party establish an internal dispute mechanism and then ignore its own verdict? How can a Certificate of Return be issued without a formal NWC/NEC ratification vote, while an active internal appeal verdict in favor of Mikati is pending? This action was done ultra vires and without due process,” it queried.
The coalition, therefore, declared that it rejects in totality the purported Certificate of Return issued to Isa Ashiru, describing it as flawed, null, void and of no effect, as it was not issued pursuant to a ratified NWC/NEC decision.
It reaffirmed that Hon. Idris Shuaibu Abubakar Mikati remains the only candidate with a lawful appellate victory and, therefore, the authentic candidate of the ADC for the 2027 governorship election in Kaduna State.
The group also condemned the attempt by the NWC and NEC to bypass the party’s constitution to favour one aspirant, warning that the action risks permanent factionalization of the party in Kaduna ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The coalition called on the National Leadership of the ADC to immediately reverse the administrative error, convene an emergency NWC meeting and uphold the report of Dr. Fagge’s Appeal Committee.
It further disclosed that Mikati has approached the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, to protect his mandate, warning that the doctrine of lis pendens is now in effect, and any attempt to submit Ashiru’s name to INEC will be met with legal consequences and could be nullified by the courts.
“We call on all our teeming supporters, elders, youths, women, stakeholders and supporters across Southern and Northern Kaduna to remain calm, resolute and law-abiding. The mandate given to Mikati by delegates cannot be stolen through the backdoor by administrative impunity,” the statement added.