The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has intervened in the lingering leadership dispute within the party’s Jigawa State chapter, directing rival factions to withdraw the court cases they instituted against each other.
The intervention followed a reconciliation meeting involving the two factions, where the parties agreed to end their legal disputes and work together in the interest of the party.
The two camps also agreed to maintain the status quo and recognise the list of candidates already submitted to and published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The development was confirmed by a member of the ADC National Executive Committee and Northwest Organising Secretary, Hon. Ali Tukur.
Tukur said the reconciliation meeting was presided over by Atiku, alongside the party’s National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and other national leaders.
According to him, the leaders of the two opposing camps, Senator Sabo Muhammad Nakudu and Hon. Bashir Adamu Jimbo, accepted the terms of the agreement and signed a commitment to end the legal battles.
The dispute had centred on the party’s governorship candidacy and the list of candidates submitted to INEC.
Tukur explained that Nakudu’s camp had approached the court over the list of candidates uploaded to the INEC portal, including the governorship running mate as well as some National and State Assembly candidates.
The Jimbo-led faction, he added, had also challenged Nakudu’s eligibility to contest the governorship election, alleging irregularities in the primary election that produced him as the party’s candidate.
Atiku’s intervention, according to Tukur, brought the two sides together and created an avenue for the factions to resolve their differences without further litigation.
Speaking after the meeting, Atiku described the agreement as a significant step towards restoring unity within the ADC in Jigawa.
He said internal contests were part of democratic processes but stressed that political organisations must be able to reconcile differences after such contests.
“At the end of the day, the strength of a political family is measured by its capacity to rise above those differences, reconcile competing interests and unite around a common purpose,” Atiku said.
He added that the internal contest was now behind the party and urged members of the Jigawa chapter to focus on the tasks ahead.
The former Vice President further declared that the ADC remained one political family across Jigawa State, the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The reconciliation is expected to end the immediate legal confrontation between the two camps and allow the party to focus on its preparations for the forthcoming elections.
