ADC Youth Group Alleges ₦50m Membership Card Manipulation in Adamawa

A group identifying itself as the Adamawa State ADC Youth Alliance and Stakeholders has raised serious allegations against the national leadership of the African Democratic Congress, claiming systematic manipulation of the party’s membership registration process in the state.

The group’s statement, released this week, accuses Kashim Imam, Chairman of the party’s Membership Revalidation, Mobilization and Registration Committee, of violating ADC guidelines by allegedly allowing a governorship aspirant in Adamawa State to pay fifty million naira for membership cards.

According to the youth alliance, ADC rules explicitly prohibit individuals from financing or purchasing membership cards, making the alleged transaction a direct breach of party regulations. The statement describes the situation as “not a minor administrative lapse” but rather “a direct assault on the integrity of the party.”

The allegations don’t stop at the financial transaction. The group claims that party guidelines stipulate only the duly recognized Chairman of the State MRMR Committee is authorized to receive and distribute membership cards. They allege that contrary to this requirement, the same aspirant who is not the State MRMR Chairman was handed Adamawa State membership cards worth the entire fifty million naira sum.

“This is not oversight. This is not error. This is a calculated and brazen attempt to hijack the membership structure of the ADC in Adamawa State and rig the forthcoming congresses in favor of a preferred aspirant,” the statement reads, expressing frustration that has clearly been building within certain quarters of the party’s Adamawa chapter.

The youth alliance argues that handing over what they describe as half of the state’s membership cards to a single governorship aspirant amounts to institutionalizing electoral manipulation within the party. They warn that such actions undermine internal democracy, disenfranchise genuine members, and erode public confidence in ADC’s commitment to fairness and transparency.

The Gazette News (Nigeria) reached out to Kashim Imam for response to these allegations but had not received a reply at the time of publication. Similarly, attempts to contact the unnamed governorship aspirant referenced in the statement were unsuccessful as the youth alliance did not specify the individual’s identity in their public document.

The controversy emerges at a particularly sensitive time for ADC in Adamawa State as the party prepares for congresses that will determine its leadership structure and potentially select candidates for future elections. Internal party democracy during such processes often determines whether political parties can present united fronts during general elections.

The youth alliance has called for immediate intervention from ADC National Chairman, Distinguished Senator David Mark, as well as the North East Zonal Chairman, Engr Babachir David Lawal. Their statement warns that “silence in the face of these grave violations will be interpreted as complicity.”

Their demands are specific: immediate investigation of Kashim Imam’s actions, withdrawal of any improperly distributed membership cards, and a comprehensive review of the entire MRMR process in Adamawa State to restore what they call credibility and ensure a level playing field for all aspirants.

“The ADC cannot claim to stand for democratic ideals while tolerating internal manipulation of this magnitude,” the statement continues, calling for enforcement of discipline, obedience to rules, and immediate accountability.

The allegations highlight tensions that frequently emerge within Nigerian political parties during membership registration exercises, particularly when such processes precede primaries for major elections. Control over membership cards can translate into influence over delegate selection, which ultimately determines who emerges as party candidates.

Whether membership cards were actually purchased in violation of party guidelines, and if so, by whom and under what circumstances, remains to be verified. The youth alliance has not provided documentary evidence to support their claims in the public statement, though they may possess such materials for presentation to party leadership.

For ADC members in Adamawa State who are not aligned with any particular aspirant, the allegations raise concerns about whether the upcoming congresses will reflect genuine democratic choice or predetermined outcomes shaped by financial muscle and preferential access to party structures.

The youth alliance’s statement concludes with a warning that failure to address these issues “will damage the moral standing of our party and jeopardize its future in Adamawa State and beyond.”

As of this report, neither Senator David Mark nor Engr Babachir David Lawal had issued public statements addressing the allegations. The ADC national secretariat had not released any official response to the youth alliance’s claims.

The coming days will likely determine whether party leadership treats these allegations as serious enough to warrant investigation or dismisses them as internal political maneuvering ahead of congresses. For the youth alliance that signed the statement, they have now publicly committed to a position that demands either vindication through investigation or risks damaging their own credibility within party structures.