Adamawa ADC crisis: Com Yakub accuses Yohanna group of plans to destroy party
The lingering leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State has taken a new dimension as a leading stakeholder, Comrade Umar B. Yakub, has issued a strong rejoinder condemning the Shehu Yohanna-led faction for rejecting a four-man reconciliation committee set up to address the party’s internal divisions.
Adamawa State chapter of ADC was engulfed by factional crisis in the wake of the formation of the coalition with both Comrade Shehu Yohanna and Mustapha Arabi claiming leadership of the state chapter.
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But in a statement issued under the banner of the Concerned ADC Stakeholders in Adamawa State, Yakub accused the Yohanna group of desperation, arrogance, and a deliberate attempt to frustrate efforts at restoring peace and unity within the party.
He said the faction’s recent move to disown the committee headed by retired Brigadier General Ishaya Bauka was not only misleading but also an attempt to cover up its waning legitimacy.
Yakub stressed that contrary to claims by Yohanna’s group, the four-man reconciliation committee was both legitimate and necessary, as it emerged from widespread calls among members for intervention.
He noted that the committee, chaired by Brig. Gen. Bauka (rtd), was widely accepted by grassroots members who had grown increasingly frustrated with the imposition of candidates and a lack of transparency in party affairs.
“To label this committee as fraudulent is defamatory and exposes the Shehu Yohanna faction’s fear of accountability and genuine reform. The committee was constituted to mediate festering divisions, and its work is long overdue,” he said.
The ADC stakeholder dismissed assertions by the Yohanna-led executives that no factional crisis existed in the party. He described such a stance as “blatant falsehood” aimed at suppressing growing discontent across wards and local governments.
“Denialism will not erase the reality of boycotts, parallel meetings, and unresolved petitions from ward leaders and aspirants. Attempting to present a façade of unity while silencing dissent is an insult to the intelligence of party members and a betrayal of ADC’s democratic values,” he reiterated.
Yakub further faulted claims that members of the reconciliation committee were not genuine card-carrying members of the ADC. According to him, many of the committee’s leaders had invested more time, resources, and credibility into building the party than the executives now issuing “dictatorial press releases from behind closed doors.”
He called on the national leadership of the ADC to urgently validate the work of the committee and reconstitute the state leadership in a way that reflects the will of the majority.
“The party belongs to its members, not a clique. Our survival depends on transparency, dialogue, and internal democracy. The era of impunity is over. ADC in Adamawa must return to the people or risk collapsing under the weight of illegitimacy,” he added.
It may be recalled that the Shehu Yohanna led group has in a statement dismissed the existence of the reconciliation group, stressing that no such committee was ever authorized by the duly recognized leadership of the ADC.
The group reiterated that the Adamawa ADC remains united and focused on strengthening its structures across the state, warning detractors against dragging the party into needless controversies calling the reconciliation committee a fraudulent invention.
“The individuals named in the circulation are not card-carrying members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State. Consequently, the Adamawa State Executive Committee unequivocally and categorically distances itself from the said committee and its activities,” the group said.
The group further stressed that the ADC remains intact and united under the leadership of Hon. Shehu Yohanna Kambile, with no factions existing within its structure from ward to state level.
