Adamawa: ADC Loyalists Decry ‘Congress Charade’ Amid Court-Ordered Calm

By Tgnews Reporter

A deepening leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State has escalated into open accusations of judicial defiance, as a group of party members loyal to constitutional order has sharply condemned what they describe as “successful congresses” celebrated by Engr. Babachir David Lawal, the party’s Northeast Zonal Chairman.

In a strongly worded press statement titled “In Response to BD Lawal,” the group – identifying as “Conscientious, Law-Abiding Democrats within the ADC” – rejected Lawal’s claims of orderly polls conducted over the weekend, insisting the exercise amounted to “a troubling theatre of tumult” carried out in contempt of a subsisting court order.

The High Court of Adamawa State, presided over by Justice Ahmed Isa of Court No. 6 in Yola, had explicitly ordered the suspension of all ward, local government, and state-level congresses scheduled for April 9–11, 2026.

The injunction, issued pending the hearing of a suit filed by factional State Chairman Yohanna Shehu (also referred to as Shehu Yohanna), directed parties to maintain the status quo. The matter was adjourned to April 15, 2026.

Despite the court’s directive, the faction reportedly aligned with Lawal proceeded with the congresses, electing new executives and swearing them in. Lawal subsequently hailed the process as a “model of internal democracy,” describing it as peaceful, transparent, and successful.

The dissenting group fired back, arguing that “democracy does not dance in defiance of the law, nor does legitimacy bloom in the barren fields of judicial disobedience.”

They described the event as “a choreographed charade, a fictional fabrication of factional fiat,” and accused an unnamed central figure – widely interpreted as pointing to internal power struggles involving Lawal – of allowing “pride and over-ambition” to trigger avoidable litigation and chaos at both national and state levels.

“Over seventy-five percent of bona fide party members… chose the path of prudence over provocation,” the statement read.

“They honoured the authority of the courts and refused to partake in what can only be described as a choreographed charade… Their silence was not surrender; it was a statement – a solemn stand for structure, sanity, and the supremacy of the law.”

The loyalists warned that attempting to legitimize the exercise risks reducing the ADC to “a platform for procedural perversion or partisan plunder.”

They called for “calm, caution and compliance,” urging all actors to align ambitions with legality rather than provocation.

The Adamawa ADC has been fractured by multiple factions. One is reportedly loyal to Lawal (with alleged backing for former Governor Jibrilla Bindow’s 2027 governorship ambitions), another to Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, and a third led by Shehu Yohanna.

Reports also indicate that Senator Ishaku Abbo, initially associated with the Lawal camp, boycotted the congresses, citing unresolved structural issues and refusal to negotiate with the Binani group.

The court intervention underscores broader tensions within the opposition party as it attempts to reorganize structures ahead of future elections. Similar legal hurdles have reportedly surfaced in other states, raising questions about the ADC’s readiness for national cohesion.

As the April 15 hearing approaches, stakeholders are watching closely to see whether the court will vacate or reinforce the suspension, and whether the party can bridge its widening internal divides without further judicial entanglement.

The dissenting statement concluded with a firm rejection: “We reject, resolutely and resoundingly, any attempt to legitimize illegality or canonize chaos… The path to power must not be paved with provocation but with principle.”