ADC Leadership Crisis Deepens in Zamfara as Rival Factions Clash Over Leadership

By Folarin Adeyemi Aluko

The Zamfara State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has plunged into a deep leadership crisis, with two rival factions laying claim to the party’s structure in the state.

One faction, led by Malam Mohammed Mainasara, insists it is the authentic leadership backed by the party’s national secretariat. Mainasara stated that he was appointed as Chairman of the Congress Committee alongside Ambassador Zubairu Yalwa as Secretary to oversee the party’s congress in Zamfara State.

According to him, the committee successfully conducted a congress in Gusau, the state capital, where a new State Executive Committee (EXCO) was formed through a consensus arrangement involving key stakeholders.

The congress reportedly produced Malam Shehu Maishanu Gulubba as State Chairman, with Dr. Ahmad Hashim emerging as Secretary. Other elected officials include Jafar Aliyu as Youth Leader and Maryam Abdullahi as Women Leader.

In his acceptance remarks, Gulubba pledged to rebuild the party through grassroots mobilisation and internal unity, stressing the need to move away from what he described as “unproductive political distractions” that have weakened the party’s structure in the state.

However, the development has been strongly rejected by a rival faction led by Kabiru Garba Gusau, who dismissed the congress as illegal and lacking legitimacy. Gusau maintained that he remains the duly recognised State Chairman of the ADC in Zamfara.

He accused the Mainasara-led group of orchestrating what he described as a “provocative and divisive exercise” aimed at destabilising the party for personal and political gain. According to him, any legitimate congress must involve all stakeholders and follow due process.

Gusau further alleged that his faction had reported the matter to security agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), insisting that the disputed congress cannot stand.

He also disclosed that individuals who participated in the parallel congress had been suspended from the party, warning that further disciplinary measures may follow. Gusau maintained that, as the recognised chairman, he retains constitutional authority to enforce party discipline.

The escalating dispute highlights ongoing internal tensions within the ADC in Zamfara, raising concerns over unity, leadership legitimacy, and the party’s preparedness ahead of future political contests.