Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) is embroiled in an internal crisis over alleged misappropriation of campaign funds and an attempt by National Chairman Yabaji Sani to extend his tenure. While Sani rejected the accusations and affirmed his position as party chairman, ADP National Secretary Victor Fingesi warned that the dispute could threaten the party’s stability and called for Sani’s suspension.
Fingesi said the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) voted to suspend Sani on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, citing “a series of constitutional breaches.” He pointed to Article 45.1(a) of the ADP Constitution, which limits an officer’s term to four years with eligibility for only one re‑election, noting that Sani has already served more than two terms—eight years—in the chairmanship.
In a memo dated 6 November 2026 addressed to all NWC members, Sani argued that the four‑year terms of the party’s Zonal, State, Senatorial District, Local Government Area, Ward and Polling Unit Executive Committees had expired on 30 May 2026, and that the four‑month transitional period for fresh congresses ended on 30 September 2026. He proposed that the NWC formally acknowledge the expirations, dissolve and reconstitute the affected committees, appoint caretaker committees for up to 90 days, approve a nationwide timetable for new congresses, and establish a National Congress Planning and Monitoring Committee coordinated by the National Organising Secretary and the National Legal Adviser.
Fingesi dismissed the memo as “illegal” and a misinterpretation of the National Convention’s decisions. He explained that the convention held on 29 May 2026 renewed the National Executive Committee (NEC) for another four years, a renewal that “covers officers from below the national level, including State Chairmen and other statutory members.” According to Fingesi, Sani’s attempt to “pick and choose which part of the NEC was renewed” contradicts the convention’s resolution and the party’s constitution.
The National Secretary warned that implementing Sani’s memo would amount to an unlawful dissolution of duly constituted party structures and could plunge the ADP into further crisis as the country prepares for the 2027 elections, a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s democratic process.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
