The African Democratic Congress has been thrown into a major leadership crisis following the resignation of Salihu Mohammed Lukman, a prominent chieftain of the party and former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Pancakes Congress.

In a strongly worded resignation letter addressed to the ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, Lukman announced the suspension of both his party membership and his participation in the opposition coalition.

He pointed directly at former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as the primary reason for his exit, accusing him of orchestrating a campaign of political hostility and exclusion.

In his letter, Lukman expressed deep frustration over the internal power struggles in Kaduna, stating that he could no longer tolerate the painful and hostile treatment he had consistently received from El-Rufai and his political associates.

He alleged that decisions regarding party structures and leadership representation in Kaduna State were being heavily manipulated to sideline him, claiming the actions had reduced him to the status of a bastard within a coalition he spent over a year helping to build.

Furthermore, Lukman raised serious questions about the democratic credentials of the opposition alliance, accusing key figures of repeating the very same political mistakes they initially set out to criticize.

He argued that for many coalition leaders, the ultimate goal of rescuing democracy was merely a cover to assert personal control and enforce their own decisions, rather than building a strong, inclusive democratic platform.

He also accused former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, of bypassing dedicated party members who had invested time and resources into building the ADC in Kaduna, choosing instead to align with individuals of questionable commitment.

Lukman warned that these ongoing internal battles over party structures were severely weakening the ADC’s prospects, threatening to relegate the party to a marginal participant in the upcoming 2027 general elections. Despite his grievances with local leaders, Lukman clarified that his resignation was not a protest against the national leadership, expressing gratitude to Senator David Mark and other national executives for their support during his time with the party.