There appears to be a fresh crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State, as members of the party have expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership style of the local government chairman, Hon. Hadi Lawal.
The members, under the aegis of Lokoja Local Government ADC G10, alleged that the chairman had been running the affairs of the party in a manner they described as capable of weakening the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a press statement made available to journalists in Lokoja on Thursday and signed by the Chairman of the Lokoja Local Government ADC G10, Hon. Abdulhamid Isiyaka, the group accused the chairman of alleged manipulation of party affairs.
According to Isiyaka, the alleged situation could negatively affect the party’s chances if not addressed.
He cited an instance involving funds reportedly released by one of the party’s candidates for ward meetings, alleging that the money was not distributed to the grassroots at the appropriate time.
“An aspirant of the party in the forthcoming election released funds for ward meetings, but the chairman, instead of releasing the money to the grassroots at the appropriate time, refused to do so. This caused disagreement between him and some elders of the party,” he alleged.
The group advised all ADC candidates to prioritise direct engagement with the electorate and party members at the grassroots as part of their campaign strategy.
It urged the candidates to adopt what it described as a “direct contact with the grassroots” approach, saying such engagement would help strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group further warned against what it described as an attempt by any individual to personalise the running of the party.
“ADC is not the PDP where an individual would turn it into a private enterprise,” the statement said.
The members called for greater consultation, transparency and inclusiveness in the management of the party’s affairs at the local government level.
Efforts to reach the Lokoja Local Government ADC chairman, Hon. Hadi Lawal, for his reaction were unsuccessful, as his known telephone contacts were reportedly not reachable as of the time of filing this report.
