A fresh wave of crisis has rocked the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Sokoto as key stakeholders and party executives from across state and local chapters on Sunday openly rejected the leadership of Bello Isiyaku, declaring their support for Umar Muhammad Faruk as the rightful chairman of the party.
Addressing journalists at the NUJ Press Centre in Sokoto, the party’s State Secretary, Yusuf Abdulkadir Alkali, declared that Isiyaku was suspended before the 2023 general elections following internal disputes that trailed his governorship ambition under the ADC platform.
Alkali said that the party’s national leadership, under Ralph Nwosu, officially ratified Faruk’s chairmanship during its national convention in Zaria in September 2022, making any claim by Isiyaku invalid.
“At our last meeting attended by 25 exco members, 18 voted to reaffirm Hon. Umar Muhammad Faruk as chairman. The attempt to smuggle Bello Isiyaku back into our structure is unconstitutional and unacceptable,” Alkali said.
He accused some party elders of fueling division within the party but stressed that the Sokoto chapter remains loyal to Faruk and the national leadership.
“The state exco has unanimously resolved to reject Bello Isiyaku’s claim and reaffirm our loyalty to Hon. Umar Muhammad Faruk,” he said.
