The National Youth Wing of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for the immediate resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, accusing the leadership of alleged irregularities and injustice in the party’s primary elections.
The demand was made at a press conference addressed by ADC National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufa’i, who alleged that the party’s leadership had undermined internal democracy by replacing candidates who emerged from properly conducted primaries with individuals who did not participate in the electoral process.
The youth wing said the alleged infractions were particularly serious in Kano State, which it described as a key political base for the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group highlighted the case of Ambassador Abdurrahman Mai Nasara Salga, who it said won the ADC primary election for the Dala Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives after extensive grassroots mobilisation and personal commitment to the party.
It alleged that despite his victory, his name was later removed from the party’s candidate list by the national leadership.
The group also claimed that Rufa’i, who emerged as the ADC senatorial candidate for Kano Central, has not had his name submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s candidate despite winning the primary election.
The youths further accused a senior party figure, Naja’atu Bala, of allegedly interfering in the outcome of House of Representatives primaries across some local government areas in Kano State.
According to the group, some candidates who won their primaries had their names removed, while it alleged that certain constituencies where no primaries were conducted were left without candidates on the list submitted to INEC.
The youth wing described the alleged actions as a deliberate attempt to undermine the party’s growth and electoral prospects in Kano.
It appealed to ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and other stakeholders to intervene urgently, saying the dispute must be resolved to restore confidence in the party’s internal democratic process ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group warned that failure to address the grievances could weaken the party’s support base and affect its chances in Kano and across the country.
Calling the situation a failure of leadership, the youths argued that replacing candidates who emerged through the primary process with what they described as “handpicked” individuals could have serious consequences for the party.
> “We are calling on Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola to resign immediately in the interest of justice and the survival of the party,” the youth leader said.
The group maintained that members who contributed to building the ADC should not be denied the opportunity to benefit from a transparent and credible nomination process.
It urged the party leadership to investigate the allegations, restore fairness, and uphold internal democracy in the selection of candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
