Kaduna ADC Delivers Harsh Penalty, Expelling Deputy Chairman and Eight Members for Misconduct.
The Kaduna State chapter of the African Democratic Congress has descended into a major internal crisis after the state leadership expelled its Deputy Chairman, Ahmed Mustapha, and eight other senior officials for what the party described as gross misconduct, insubordination, and deliberate attempts to seize control of the state leadership. The action, taken after weeks of rising tension and political scheming, has thrown the party into turmoil and sparked debates about loyalty, power, and accountability within its ranks.
According to multiple sources present at the emergency meeting in Kaduna on Wednesday, the decision to expel the officials came after a series of heated deliberations that lasted several hours. Members of the State Executive Committee reportedly agreed that the situation had reached a point where firm action was needed to restore order. The chairman, Elder Patrick Ambut, presided over the session, where the committee voted unanimously to expel the accused officers and reaffirm the authority of the existing leadership structure.
The expelled members include Idris Musa, who served as State Publicity Secretary; Sulaiman Abdullahi, Vice Chairman for Zone 1; Gambo Sani, State Treasurer; Magaji Maiwada, Financial Secretary; and Danlami Dabai Musa, the State Legal Adviser. Others affected are Saura Muhammed, the Coordinator for Persons with Disabilities; Ibrahim Muhammed, Deputy Youth Leader; and a grassroots mobilizer identified as Mansur Gaga. Their removal sent a strong signal that the party leadership intended to draw a firm line against perceived acts of rebellion or sabotage.
Party insiders claimed that the expelled officials had been holding secret meetings where they allegedly plotted to alter the leadership hierarchy in violation of the party constitution. They reportedly forged internal documents and used the party’s name to solicit money from unsuspecting members, creating confusion and mistrust. Members who attended the meeting said these actions threatened to erode the unity that the party had worked hard to build in Kaduna and across the North-West region.
Elder Ambut addressed journalists shortly after the meeting, speaking with a tone that reflected both disappointment and resolve. He said the ADC in Kaduna had endured months of internal strife caused by individuals who placed personal ambition above collective progress. “We reached this painful decision because we must defend the integrity of our great party,” he said. “We cannot continue to allow people to operate outside our constitution and undermine the trust of our members. The African Democratic Congress belongs to all of us, and everyone must respect the rules that govern it.”
Ambut emphasized that the committee followed the ADC constitution strictly throughout the disciplinary process. According to him, the party issued several warnings and invited the accused officials to defend themselves before taking the final decision. He explained that the expulsions were not a matter of personal conflict but an institutional necessity to preserve discipline. “As responsible leaders,” he said, “we have an obligation to protect the values of transparency and order that define our party. Nobody, regardless of position or influence, stands above the law that binds us.”
He accused the former Deputy Chairman, Ahmed Mustapha, of gross abuse of office, impersonation, and activities that fueled division within the Kaduna chapter and beyond. Ambut alleged that Mustapha, without authority, had convened meetings and issued directives to party members, creating parallel structures that directly challenged the state leadership. “Mr. Mustapha acted in clear defiance of the constitution,” Ambut said. “He has no legal power to summon meetings or issue instructions on behalf of the party, yet he went ahead and did so. Such behavior amounts to insubordination and cannot be tolerated.”
Several members who witnessed the internal crisis described how tensions escalated in the weeks leading up to the expulsions. Some said certain expelled officials had used social media and private gatherings to criticize the leadership and spread misinformation. Their actions reportedly deepened divisions and distracted the party from its broader mission of strengthening its grassroots support base in Kaduna. Local government chairmen aligned with the state leadership warned that such behavior could weaken the ADC’s standing ahead of future elections if left unchecked.
In the aftermath of the expulsions, the party moved swiftly to fill some of the vacant positions to avoid disruption. The Deputy State Publicity Secretary, Alex Tagwai, received an appointment as Acting Publicity Secretary to ensure continuity in communications. Ambut announced the appointment publicly, stressing that the decision was reached collectively and endorsed by local government chairmen and other party stakeholders. “Mr. Tagwai assumes his new responsibilities immediately,” Ambut declared. “We expect him to coordinate all publicity-related matters effectively and maintain open communication between the leadership and our members.”
He also called for calm among the party faithful, urging them to remain focused and loyal. Ambut reminded members that internal disagreements must always follow due process rather than emotional outbursts or factional alignments. “Our party values discipline above all,” he said. “We encourage dialogue and constructive criticism, but we will not condone rebellion or the creation of illegal structures. Every member must play by the rules. We are one family, and discipline is what keeps a family together.”
Some political observers in Kaduna described the expulsions as a bold but risky move. They believe it could either strengthen the ADC by reinforcing discipline or weaken it if the dismissed members decide to challenge the decision in court or defect to rival parties. The ADC, which has been working to increase its influence in the state, now faces the task of rebuilding trust and unity among its members. One analyst noted that while strict discipline is necessary, internal purges often leave emotional scars that take time to heal.
Meanwhile, supporters of Elder Ambut argued that his leadership had acted in the party’s best interest. They said he had shown courage by confronting internal disloyalty head-on instead of allowing the situation to fester. Some recalled that similar crises in other political parties spiraled out of control because leaders hesitated to enforce discipline. “What happened today sends a message that ADC cannot be hijacked by selfish interests,” said one local government chairman. “If we must succeed in politics, we must learn to respect structure and authority. Without order, there can be no progress.”
However, sympathizers of the expelled officials painted a different picture. They claimed the expulsions were politically motivated and orchestrated to silence dissent. Some accused Ambut of intolerance and of running the party like a private organization where only his loyalists could speak. One of the dismissed officers, speaking anonymously, insisted that they were punished for demanding transparency in how party funds were managed. “We didn’t break any law,” the source said. “We only asked for accountability, and they called it insubordination. That is injustice.”
Such claims have stirred further debate among members, with some calling for the party’s national leadership to step in and mediate. They fear that if the crisis deepens, it might spill into the public domain and tarnish the ADC’s image in the North-West region. A few members even urged the expelled officials to seek reconciliation rather than confrontation, arguing that unity remains the party’s strongest asset in a competitive political landscape.
For now, the leadership under Elder Ambut appears determined to move forward. The chairman has directed all local government executives to strengthen grassroots structures and focus on mobilization ahead of upcoming political activities. He warned that anyone caught engaging in actions that could undermine the party’s credibility would face immediate sanctions. “We have learned from this experience,” Ambut said. “Our focus is now on rebuilding trust and ensuring that our members work with one vision and one voice. We are not enemies; we are colleagues with a common goal—to serve the people of Kaduna with honesty and dedication.”
As the dust settles, the ADC’s internal battle in Kaduna reflects a broader pattern in Nigerian politics, where power struggles often test the resilience of party structures. Analysts say the situation underscores the importance of internal democracy, transparency, and mutual respect among political actors. Whether the expelled members seek redress or choose to reconcile, the episode has already sent a message to politicians across the state: loyalty to the constitution must outweigh personal ambition.
The ADC in Kaduna now stands at a crossroads. Its leadership can either use this moment to strengthen discipline and restore public confidence or risk further division if reconciliation efforts fail. What happens next will determine whether the party emerges stronger from this storm or sinks deeper into factional disputes. For Elder Ambut and his loyalists, the challenge lies in balancing firmness with fairness, ensuring that justice within the party does not turn into vengeance.
In the end, the story of the ADC’s crisis in Kaduna mirrors the recurring struggle in many political organizations—the clash between authority and ambition, loyalty and dissent, structure and freedom. As the expelled officials weigh their next steps and the leadership works to consolidate control, one truth remains clear: a political party cannot survive on ambition alone. It thrives only when discipline, dialogue, and respect for shared principles guide every decision.