Crisis is brewing in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the party’s primary elections to nominate candidates for the 2027 polls.

Consequently, the ADC Youth Wing is calling for an independent probe into allegations of unethical conduct against some party officials during the nomination exercise.

The ADC National Youth Leader, Comrade Balarabe Rufai, said an independent investigation into the primary elections has become necessary to ensure that every aspirant is treated fairly.

Consequently, Rufai charged the ADC National Working Committee (NWC) to set up an independent review process to examine every complaint arising from the nomination exercise.

He stated that, after a thorough and fair investigation, any official found culpable of manipulating the primaries should face disciplinary action in line with the ADC constitution.

The ADC National Youth Leader, while pledging the loyalty of the Youth Wing to the opposition party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as well as all validly nominated candidates, noted that the party owes every aspirant a fair process.

According to him, “only a few Months ago, thousands of party members across our wards, local governments, and states celebrated what many believed would mark another important chapter in the democratic journey of our great party.

“Aspirants invested their personal resources, supporters travelled long distances, volunteers gave countless hours, and young Nigerians stood shoulder to shoulder with hope that every legitimate vote and every genuine mandate would be respected. For many, the primary election was more than a contest for party tickets.

“It was a test of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and internal democracy. Today, that hope has been overshadowed by deep concern. The National Youth Wing of the African Democratic Congress can no longer remain silent in the face of serious allegations that strike at the very foundation of the values we have asked Nigerians to believe in.

“We had every reason to expect that our internal processes would reflect the principles we preach. Instead, credible complaints have emerged suggesting that, in some instances, those principles may have been compromised. If these allegations are true, then those affected deserve justice, our members deserve answers, and our party deserves the courage to confront the truth.”

Furthermore, Rufai stated that, “We have received petitions supported by documentary evidence alleging that some party officials accepted improper financial inducements to alter candidate nominations across over twenty-three states.

“It is on record that formal petitions were already submitted directly to the Legal Department by the party-constituted Appeal Committee as well as aggrieved party aspirants, yet regrettably, nothing was done to address these clear breaches.

“If these allegations are established through an independent investigation, they would represent a grave violation of our party’s constitution, democratic principles, and the trust of our members. We now hold official records, petitions, and correspondence submitted by affected members for review.”

According to him, “every genuine grievance deserves a fair hearing, and every member deserves confidence that justice will be pursued through the proper channels.”

He added, “our loyalty to the African Democratic Congress remains firm because our loyalty is rooted in its ideals. We stand solidly behind our presidential ticket of His Excellency Atiku Abubakar and Right Honorable Rotimi Amaechi, as well as all our validly nominated candidates nationwide.

“We believe this party is strongest when it is transparent, accountable, and faithful to its own rules. We owe every aspirant a fair process, every member an honest organization, and every Nigerian the confidence that we are prepared to hold ourselves to the same standards we expect of others.” (The Sun)

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