The Nafiu Bala-led faction of the African Democratic Congress has disowned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s registration in Adamawa, insisting he is not yet a recognised member of the party.
This clarification comes hours after Atiku publicly collected his ADC membership card at Jada 1 Ward in Adamawa State.
In a statement issued in Abuja by the ADC Director of Media and Public
Affairs, Christopher Okechukwu, the party declared that the registration exercise in Adamawa was illegitimate and violated internal procedures.
He stated, “This registration was conducted by individuals not recognised by the ADC’s National Headquarters and therefore lacked authority to register new members.
We have consistently urged Mr Abubakar to complete his registration with the duly constituted and authentic party executives in his locality, a step he has yet to take.”
The faction warned that Atiku’s actions could be part of a “broader strategy to leverage the ADC while awaiting reconciliation with the Peoples Democratic Party,” noting that such patterns have been observed before.
Okechukwu appealed to the former vice president to follow due process, emphasising that the ADC “is not a vehicle for personal ambition but a movement committed to democratic renewal,” and assured him of full membership rights once he properly registers with the authorised ward structure.
The rebuttal comes at a time when the ADC is embroiled in a leadership dispute, with the legitimacy of David Mark’s national leadership before the Federal High Court—an issue the party says must be resolved before integrating coalition partners, including Atiku’s camp.
Atiku resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party in July after accusing it of abandoning its ideals and declared on Monday that “the real opposition has begun” as he received his ADC card amid cheers in Adamawa.
“Now I have picked up my membership card of the ADC. Now, the real opposition has begun. We will chase the APC out of government,” he stated.
His registration was co-supervised by Adamawa ADC chairman Shehu Yohanna and the ADC Registration and Mobilisation Committee, with prominent politicians—including former Governor Bindow Jibrilla and Senator Aishatu Binani—present, marking a significant political shift ahead of 2027.
Atiku’s move aligns with a broader opposition coalition—including Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Kaduna’s Nasir el-Rufai, ex-SGFG Babachir Lawal, and others—who earlier agreed to adopt the ADC as a united platform against the ruling APC.
However, with strong pushback from the ADC factional leadership, Atiku’s membership status may now become a fresh point of contention within the opposition camp.
