A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Salihu Lukman, has warned that internal power struggles could undermine the party’s effectiveness.
He stressed that such disputes could affect the party’s performance ahead of the 2027 elections.
He made the statement in Abuja on Wednesday, urging political heavyweights, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, not to plunge the party into further chaos over control of its structures in Kaduna State.
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Lukman highlighted rising tensions within the party following attempts to remove former Senate President David Mark as ADC national chairman.
He cautioned that such disputes could weaken the opposition before the 2027 elections.
“Instead of working to build the party, we are setting ourselves to produce a party whose business will be limited to presenting candidates for elections,” he said.
He further noted that ambitious party members are restless and seeking to dominate the process of structuring the party, often at the exclusion of their opponents.
“People with ambition to contest elections have become restless and want to dominate the process of developing the structures of the party to the exclusion of their opponents,” Lukman lamented.
The former Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress stressed that the power tussle observed at the national level, particularly the move against David Mark, was already manifesting in Kaduna State.
He warned that if left unchecked, these internal battles could significantly weaken ADC’s ability to mount a credible challenge in 2027.
Lukman called on party leaders to prioritize unity and the development of robust party structures over personal ambitions.
“We must focus on building a strong, united party that can effectively offer Nigerians a viable alternative in 2027, instead of letting internal rivalries dictate our future,” he added.