ADC Halts Jigawa Primary Collation Over Violence, Malpractice

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has suspended indefinitely the collation of results for its Jigawa State primaries following widespread reports of violence, irregularities and factional clashes.

Chief Returning Officer and retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Zaki Ahmed, announced the suspension at Tashir Guests Palace, Dutse, on Wednesday. He said results from 19 of the state’s 27 local government areas had been received, while Auyo, Roni and Kazaure councils were yet to submit returns.

Ahmed explained that the exercise was riddled with malpractice in several councils and that Gwaram witnessed threats of violence that nearly derailed the process. In Guri, no election took place at all due to a leadership dispute among party chieftains. Faced with these challenges, Ahmed said collation would resume after the Eid-el-Kabir prayers at 2 p.m. at the same venue, when a winner may be declared.

The primaries, which began last Monday to pick candidates for the State Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, governorship and presidential tickets, quickly descended into controversy. For over 48 hours, no aspirant was declared winner, fuelling anxiety among supporters and delegates. Observers described a charged atmosphere at the collation centre, with security personnel deployed to maintain order.

At the heart of the crisis is the hotly contested governorship primary between Hon. Adamu Jumbo and Senator Sabo Nakudu, who recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with a large following. The rival camps have accused each other of attempting to manipulate delegates, intensifying the stalemate.

Election observer Dayyabu Musa, who spent over two days at the venue, said the suspension followed days of political horse-trading and heightened tension. Ahmed commended party members, security agencies and electoral officials for their cooperation and expressed hope that the process would be concluded peacefully.

The turmoil in Jigawa reflects broader struggles within Nigeria’s opposition parties as they try to build credible structures to challenge the dominant APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections. Internal party democracy remains a persistent weak spot, with primaries often disintegrating into chaos, litigation and division that weaken parties when they most need unity.