The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship primaries in Jigawa State plunged into chaos early Wednesday after a dramatic 48-hour collation process ended without a winner, exposing deep cracks within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
What was expected to be a straightforward exercise turned into a political standoff marked by allegations of malpractice, threats of violence, missing results and factional clashes, forcing the party’s electoral committee to suspend proceedings indefinitely.
At exactly 1:45 a.m., tension filled the collation centre at Tahir Hotel in Dutse when the Chairman of the ADC Electoral Committee, retired DIG Zaki Ahmed, stepped forward to announce the shocking suspension of the exercise.
Exhausted delegates, aspirants and party agents who had camped at the venue since Monday watched in disbelief as the retired police chief admitted the process had been overwhelmed by irregularities and internal disputes.
“We have results from 19 local governments out of 27 local governments. We are awaiting results from Kaugama, Auyo, Kazaure, Gwiwa, Hadejia, and Gwaram,” Ahmed declared.
He revealed that the crisis deepened after reports of intimidation, manipulation and disruption surfaced from several local government areas.
“Babura, Hadejia and Gwaram are characterised by irregularities — threat of violence in Gwaram, malpractices in Hadejia and Babura — and there was no election completely in Guri Local Government as a result of conflict between factional leaders,” he said.
Ahmed subsequently announced the suspension of the entire collation process until after Eid prayers today, with continuation scheduled for 2 p.m.
The prolonged delay has largely been linked to the fierce governorship showdown between Hon. Adamu Jumbo and Senator Sabo Nakudu, two political heavyweights whose camps are locked in an intense battle for control of the party structure in Jigawa.
Insiders said disagreements over results from strategic councils triggered heated confrontations behind closed doors, while supporters of both camps mounted pressure on the electoral committee as the process dragged deep into the night.
The uncertainty has now cast a shadow over all ADC primaries in the state, as results for the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives, State Assembly and presidential primaries remain officially undeclared more than two days after voting began.
At the collation venue, frustration boiled over among delegates and party loyalists who accused the party leadership of poor coordination and failure to manage the exercise.
Meanwhile, political observers say the unfolding crisis could significantly weaken the ADC’s internal cohesion in Jigawa if the party fails to resolve the disputes transparently.
As of the time of filing this report, the atmosphere in Dutse remained tense, with supporters anxiously awaiting the resumption of collation in what has become one of the most controversial and prolonged primary elections in Jigawa’s recent political history.