A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Katsina State and governorship aspirant, Mustapha Inuwa, has warned that supporters are beginning to lose confidence in the party over the lingering dispute surrounding its governorship candidate selection process.
Inuwa, a former Secretary to the Katsina State Government (SSG), stated this on Saturday during a meeting with his supporters in Katsina.
He accused the party leadership of failing to address complaints raised over the conduct of its primaries despite several efforts by his camp to seek redress.
“The party that people have confidence in, that they have hope in, is the party that is starting with this kind of mess. It is really unfortunate,” he said.
“People are disappointed. People are beginning to lose hope in the ADC.”
The former SSG said his supporters had agreed to give the party leadership additional time to resolve the issues, warning that other political options remained open if their grievances were ignored.
“We are still giving them time to reflect and come to terms with the truth,” he said.
“All we are asking is: do what is legal, do what is in accordance with the law, and do what the law stipulates, especially the Electoral Act, the Constitution of Nigeria, and the party’s constitution.”
Inuwa maintained that his camp was not demanding automatic tickets for any aspirant but was only seeking a transparent process that complies with the law and is acceptable to party members.
He reiterated his claim that no valid primaries were conducted across the state before candidates emerged.
“There were no primaries conducted anywhere in any of the 361 wards or any of the 34 local government areas,” he alleged.
According to him, some candidates emerged through decisions taken by a few individuals rather than through recognised party procedures.
The ADC stalwart also insisted that all aspirants should be allowed to participate in any fresh primary election or consensus arrangement.
“If we are to hold primaries, everybody should come, including the other camp. Let them come and participate in the primaries,” he said.
Inuwa further disclosed that several political parties had approached him and his supporters amid the crisis.
“APC is looking for us. PDP is looking for us. NNPP is looking for us,” he said.
“We have options, honestly. But my main concern is the ADC.”
He, however, ruled out taking any unilateral decision on defection, stressing that consultations with supporters and stakeholders would determine the next line of action.
“I don’t decide on my own. We talk to the people and ask them to consult widely,” he added.
The dispute is linked to the emergence of candidates for the 2027 elections in Katsina State, with Inuwa and other aspirants challenging the process that produced candidates for various positions, including the governorship ticket.
Despite his criticisms, the former SSG said he still preferred an internal resolution of the crisis and urged party leaders to act before it further weakened the party’s chances ahead of the 2027 elections.
