Alleged party membership scandal: INEC final list elicits controversy in Adamawa
By Our Reporter
The release of the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is generating tension in Adamawa State over alleged failure by some candidates to formally resign their membership before defecting to new parties.
Findings by this reporter revealed that Hon. Babangida Mohammed Njidda who is now listed as the candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) for Nassarawo/Binyeri State Constituency in the Adamawa State House of Assembly election did not officially resign his membership of his former party before joining the APM and became its legible candidate.
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Njidda, who had earlier contested for the same constituency under a different platform is said to have emerged as APM’s flagbearer without following due process of resignation as required by the Electoral Act 2022 and party constitutions.
In a similar development Hon. Solomon Madando Nahum who is now listed as the sole candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for same Nassarawo Binyeri State Constituency seat is alleged to have abandoned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) without formal resignation after losing the party’s primary election.
A party source in the ADC in Mayo Belwa local government area told our correspondent that Madando lost the ADC primary and instead of remaining in the party or formally resigning he went ahead to secure the ticket of the Labour Party.
“Solomon Madando Nahum contested our primary and lost. He did not write any resignation letter to the party at ward, local government or state level. The next thing we saw is his name as Labour Party candidate on INEC portal,” the source, who pleaded anonymity, said.
The development is said to be generating tension among party stakeholders in Nassarawo/Binyeri in Mayo-Belwa Local Government with some party members threatening to petition INEC and seek legal redress to disqualify the candidates on grounds of double party membership and non-compliance with Section 77 of the Electoral Act.
Political observers say the issue could lead to pre-election litigations that may affect the chances of the affected parties in the two constituencies if not quickly resolved.
When contacted for reaction, efforts to reach Babangida Mohammed Njidda and Solomon Madando Nahum proved abortive as calls put through their telephone numbers were not responded to, and text messages sent to them were not replied as at the time of filing this report.
Recall that INEC had yesterday released the final list of candidates for the Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly elections ahead of the 2027 general polls.
