ADC chair, scribe differ on Senator Gada’s membership in Sokoto

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Sokoto State became enmeshed in internal controversy as its state chairman and secretary openly disagreed over the membership status of Senator Abubakar Umar Gada, following his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While the state chairman of the party, Alhaji Bello Keagan, insisted that neither Gada nor former governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is a registered member of the ADC in the state, the party’s secretary, Yusuf Alkali, countered the claim, saying the senator was duly registered months ago.

Keagan told reporters that though Gada and Tambuwal are recognised as leaders of the national coalition driving the ADC, they never completed formal registration at the ward level.

“They are not card-carrying members of our party. Neither of them came to their ward to register with the ADC,” he said.

However, Alkali dismissed the chairman’s position as misleading, insisting that Senator Gada was officially registered as a member of the party on August 21, 2025.

“I personally handled his registration at the party secretariat. The chairman is being economical with the truth,” he said. In support of his claim, Gada presented a copy of his ADC membership card to journalists.

The disagreement came as Senator Gada formally announced his return to the PDP alongside his supporters, citing frustration with the ADC’s leadership structure in Sokoto.

Speaking after addressing supporters at the weekend, the senator accused Tambuwal of indecision, political duplicity and failure to provide leadership for the party.

Senator Gada said there was an initial understanding that Tambuwal and himself would jointly drive the ADC in Sokoto, but alleged that Tambuwal refused to formally identify with the party or mobilise his supporters to register, despite deadlines set by the national leadership.

He also accused Tambuwal of holding parallel consultations with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and exploring vice-presidential ambitions elsewhere, describing the situation as contradictory and damaging to the ADC.

Gada said the confusion within the party left him with no option but to return to the PDP to rebuild it ahead of future elections.