Governorship aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Jigawa State, Bashir Adamu, has formally rejected the outcome of the party’s primary election, filing a petition before the State Election Appeal Committee seeking its cancellation over alleged irregularities.
Adamu, a former member of the House of Representatives for the Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/Yankwashi Federal Constituency, accused party officials of bias, interference, and allowing acts of violence during the exercise. He argued that the process that produced Senator Sabo Muhammad Nakudu as the party’s governorship candidate was not credible.
The ADC recently held its primaries across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections. In Jigawa, the exercise took place in all 27 local government areas, with results later announced by a committee chaired by retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Ahmed Zaki.
The committee declared that 55,476 valid votes were recorded in the election held on May 27. According to the announced figures, Adamu polled 19,537 votes, while Nakudu emerged winner with 35,939 votes.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, Adamu submitted a petition dated June 3, 2026, calling for the outright nullification of the primary and the conduct of a fresh exercise. He described the poll as “undemocratic” and allegedly compromised.
In the petition, he claimed that the election was tainted by breaches of party guidelines, external influence, and compromised neutrality by officials overseeing the process. He specifically alleged that the election committee chairman acted under the influence of the party’s State Executive Committee.
He further argued that the declared result did not reflect the genuine preference of party members who participated in the voting process.
Adamu also accused the State Executive Committee of allegedly backing a preferred candidate, insisting that internal party structures were manipulated to influence the outcome in favour of Senator Nakudu.
He maintained that, despite building party structures across all 27 local government areas, irregularities in logistics and the handling of election materials affected the credibility of the exercise. He alleged delays in the distribution of materials, particularly in parts of the North-West Senatorial District, which left many members waiting for hours without accreditation.
According to him, the late arrival of materials disrupted the voting process, forcing some eligible voters to leave before casting their ballots, thereby creating room for manipulation.
The aspirant further alleged that armed thugs loyal to his opponent disrupted voting in several areas, snatching materials and influencing results. He also claimed that violence led to the cancellation of the exercise in four local government areas, making the process inconclusive.
He insisted that only the properly constituted primary election committee had the authority to announce results, questioning the legitimacy of the declaration made by party executives.
Adamu urged the appeal committee to annul the entire exercise and order a rerun, citing violations of both ADC guidelines and provisions of the Electoral Act. He, however, reaffirmed his loyalty to the party and expressed confidence in the appeal process.
Reacting, the Jigawa State Chairman of the ADC, Muhammad Gumel, called for calm among aggrieved members. He appealed to Adamu and others to accept the outcome in good faith and remain committed to the party’s unity.
Gumel described Adamu as a respected figure within the party and urged him to show sportsmanship, noting that internal disputes are common in competitive primaries.
He added that while disagreements are expected, the party remains committed to treating all members fairly and supporting whoever emerges through a legitimate process.