A new internal dispute has emerged within the African Democratic Congress (ADC)-led opposition coalition following the suspension of membership by one of its prominent members, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, who accused former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, of sidelining him and subjecting him to unfair treatment.
Lukman, a founding member of the coalition and former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), announced his decision in a letter addressed to the ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, with copies forwarded to other leaders of the opposition alliance.
He explained that the move was the result of what he described as months of persistent hostility from El-Rufai and his associates over issues concerning the leadership structure and political direction of the ADC in Kaduna State.
Expressing his frustration, Lukman wrote that he could no longer endure what he termed “painful hostile treatment” from some Kaduna-based leaders, particularly El-Rufai.
He alleged that party leadership arrangements and representation in Kaduna had been manipulated to exclude him, despite his efforts toward uniting opposition stakeholders and strengthening the coalition in the state.
According to him, he had been treated like an outsider within an alliance he played a key role in building, saying he had been reduced “to the status of a bastard” despite his contributions.
The resignation has become one of the most visible signs of disagreement within the ADC-led coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, raising questions about the unity of the opposition alliance, especially in Kaduna, a politically significant state.
Lukman claimed he spent over a year engaging opposition figures and mobilising support for the coalition in Kaduna but later became the subject of what he described as a coordinated effort by El-Rufai and his supporters to undermine him.
“For Mallam Nasir and his people, I am the problem. I have decided to resolve the problem for them and everyone,” he stated.
He subsequently announced the suspension of his ADC membership and withdrawal from coalition activities, saying it was preferable “to be inactive than to continue to chase dashed expectations.”
Lukman also criticised some coalition leaders, accusing them of failing to uphold the democratic principles they claimed to defend and instead adopting the same practices they previously criticised in other political parties.
“For many coalition leaders, the objective of rescuing our democracy is just about allowing them to have their way, even when their actions reproduce the old habits that destroyed our former parties,” he said.
He further accused former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, of engaging with individuals in Kaduna whose commitment to the ADC’s growth was questionable, while neglecting those who had worked to develop the party’s structures.
“Whatever he wants to do with them is certainly not about building the party into a strong democratic party,” Lukman added.
He said the developments had weakened his confidence in the coalition and had pushed the ADC into what he described as a marginal role in preparations for the 2027 elections.
However, Lukman expressed appreciation to Senator David Mark and other national leaders of the ADC, clarifying that his decision was not directed at the party’s national leadership but against the circumstances surrounding the Kaduna chapter.