- Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has drawn fierce criticism from the Kwankwasiyya Movement and Rotimi Amaechi after claiming he is the only northern leader with a dominant voting bloc.
- Factional ADC Chairman Nafiu Bala and Rep. Leke Abejide have labeled the recent David Mark-led national convention a “nullity” and an “affront to the court,” accusing Atiku of trying to destroy the party.
- Atiku’s description of former President Goodluck Jonathan as “inexperienced” was met with a heavy backlash from Reuben Abati and Femi Fani-Kayode, who branded the comments as “rude” and “condescending.”
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is facing a significant internal explosion following a series of controversial remarks by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Eko Hot Blog reports that rivals within the party’s growing coalition, including supporters of Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Rotimi Amaechi, have reacted with outrage to Atiku’s claims of political superiority in the North.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- JAMB Delists 23 CBT Centres, Warns 89 After Mock UTME Review
- NASA Astronauts Return to Earth After First Human Trip to the Moon in 50 Years
- INEC Shifts Nationwide Voter Revalidation Until After 2027 General Election
The friction began following an Arise TV interview on Thursday, where Atiku dismissed other northern aspirants, stating, “None of them has gotten more northern bloc votes as much as I have got.”
The Kwankwasiyya Movement, rooting for a joint ticket between Peter Obi and Kwankwaso, dismissed Atiku’s support as “induced,” contrasting it with Kwankwaso’s “organic grassroots followership.”
Former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi personally countered Atiku on Channels Television, questioning the former VP’s popularity and his focus on regional identity.
“If Atiku is saying the only qualification he has to become president is that he’s from the North… that means on election day, the North should vote for him, and the South shouldn’t,” Amaechi stated.
He further described himself as the only “national candidate” in a field of “regional candidates.”
In what observers described as a damage-control move, Atiku visited Kwankwaso at his Abuja residence shortly after Friday prayers.
While both leaders held private discussions, the fallout from Atiku’s dismissal of Kwankwaso claiming he only holds “Kano votes” continues to resonate.
Atiku’s critique of former President Goodluck Jonathan also sparked a firestorm.
Reuben Abati, Jonathan’s former spokesperson, called the remarks “condescending,” noting that Atiku is still aspiring to reach the heights Jonathan already achieved. Femi Fani-Kayode echoed this, expressing “astonishment” at the “sheer arrogance” of labeling a 68-year-old former President a “young man” and “inexperienced.”
Compounding the political tension is a brewing legal battle within the ADC. Nafiu Bala, a factional National Chairman, declared the April 14 convention led by David Mark a “suya convention” and a nullity, citing a subsisting Court of Appeal judgment from March 2026.
Rep. Leke Abejide added that those “jumping from one party to another” are “political merchants” on a mission to destroy the ADC.
He warned that if the internal crisis is not resolved within two weeks, the party may be unable to present candidates for the 2027 general elections.
