A factional crisis has emerged within the Adamawa State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) with the inauguration of a parallel caretaker committee. This development comes a day after a separate group of leaders had set up a steering committee, which was initially perceived as the authentic new leadership of the party in the state.

The latest committee was inaugurated on Sunday under the supervision of the party’s Assistant National Organising Secretary and North East Zonal Organising Secretary, Umar Bello Jada. In contrast, the previous day’s event was chaired by the ADC National Vice Chairman for the North East, Babachir Lawal. This new wave of factionalisation, driven by national officers, marks a significant escalation from previous disputes that involved less prominent figures.

At the heart of the struggle for supremacy is a rift between Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and former Vice President and national leader of the party, Atiku Abubakar. Abubakar Jada, who is Atiku’s kinsman, and Senator Aishatu Ahmed Binani, a top figure in the new parallel caretaker committee, are known to be staunch loyalists of Atiku.

The 44-member parallel caretaker committee, chaired by Malam Saidu Komsiri, has accused Babachir Lawal of unilateral decision-making and abuse of authority in constituting the committee inaugurated on Saturday. According to a resolution read by Jada on behalf of the Zonal Working Committee of ADC, Lawal’s actions were taken without due consultation or approval from the zonal organs of the party.

In a show of support, senior stakeholders including Binani, Jada, Abdullahi Musa Speaker, and Senator Ahmed Barata donated over N100 million in cash to the newly inaugurated executive as a take-off grant. This development is likely to further deepen the crisis within the party, with potential implications for its stability and cohesion in Adamawa State.

The emergence of a parallel caretaker committee highlights the deepening divisions within the ADC in Adamawa State, driven by competing interests and power struggles. As the party navigates this challenging period, it remains to be seen how the national leadership will respond to the crisis and what measures will be taken to address the underlying issues driving the factionalisation.