ADC faction adopts Dumebi Kachikwu as 2027 presidential candidate amid leadership crisis

The 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has emerged as the party’s 2027 presidential candidate under the faction led by Alhaji Abdulkkadir Mohammed Bashir.

Kachikwu’s adoption was announced during a national convention held in Abuja on Sunday, where delegates of the faction ratified his nomination ahead of the next presidential election.

Chairman of the Electoral Committee and Benue State Chairman of the party, Elias Adikwu, formally declared Kachikwu as the presidential flagbearer of the faction after delegates reportedly endorsed his candidacy.

The development came alongside the emergence of Alhaji Abdulkkadir Mohammed Bashir as the new National Chairman of the faction during the convention.

Following the announcement, Bashir presented the party’s flag to Kachikwu as a symbolic endorsement of his mandate to lead the faction into the 2027 general elections.

The convention also witnessed the election of other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), as the faction moved to strengthen its internal structure amid ongoing leadership disputes within the ADC.

Speaking shortly after his adoption, Kachikwu said his ambition was driven by the desire to improve the condition of ordinary Nigerians whom he described as the “common man.”

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“Who is the common man? He is the average citizen, as contrasted with the socio-economic or socio-cultural elites,” he said.

“The common man is a title most of us will bear at some point in our lives, and for the majority of our population, it is a reality they live with daily. It is because of them that I stand before you today to say I accept your nomination to be the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress. I thank you.”

Kachikwu lamented the current socio-economic challenges facing the country, saying Nigeria was confronted with numerous crises that require bold and practical leadership solutions.

According to him, despite the nation’s difficulties and what he described as failed promises by political leaders, there remains hope for national recovery.

“The realities of our existence today in Nigeria are well known to us all, and so I will not rehash the many challenges we face as a nation,” he stated.

“I’m here today to tell you that even though our leaders have navigated us to the precipice of disaster, we can still reverse it. Even though they scam us with their failed promises, there is still hope for us.”

The former presidential candidate also stressed the need for active political participation and decisive leadership, insisting that complaints alone would not solve the country’s problems.

“I’m very clear that I must be in the driver’s seat to make the changes needed in Aso Rock. Mourning and complaining are not enough. It is time to sit at the table and make decisions that will move the country forward,” he added.

The latest development further highlights the deepening leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress, which is currently divided into multiple factions.

Political observers note that the party now appears to have at least three major factions, including the group associated with former Senate President David Mark, another led by former Deputy National Chairman Nafiu Bala Gombe, and the faction now headed by Abdulkkadir Mohammed Bashir.

Analysts believe the growing divisions within the ADC could shape the party’s preparations and political relevance ahead of the 2027 elections, especially as opposition parties continue efforts to reposition themselves against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).