ADC Kaduna Clarifies: Nenadi Usman, Bashir Saidu Not Party Leaders but Coalition Heads

By our Correspondent

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State has clarified that Senator Nenadi Usman and Hon. Bashir Saidu are not leaders of the party but rather heads of a wider coalition of opposition forces in the state.

In a statement issued by the Kaduna State Chapter of the ADC and made available to newsmen on Wednesday, the party dismissed reports suggesting that Senator Usman and Hon. Saidu had taken leadership positions within the ADC, describing such reports as “false and misleading.”

According to the statement, the recent appointments of Senator Usman as Chairman and Hon. Saidu as Co-Chairman were made by the Coalition Partners—a body consisting of several political parties, interest groups, and stakeholders working together to challenge what they described as “the hardship and maladministration of the rudderless APC government.”

“The ADC, as a political party, maintains its duly elected leadership structure, which remains intact and unaffected by the appointments made by the coalition partners,” the statement said.

It further explained that the coalition’s internal appointments were aimed at improving coordination among member parties in Kaduna State, emphasizing that they were not connected to the ADC’s leadership hierarchy.

“These appointments are entirely separate and distinct from the leadership structure of the ADC in Kaduna State. The elected State Executive Committee of the ADC remains fully in charge of the party’s affairs and operations within the state,” the party stated.

The statement also defended Senator Usman’s new role, noting that her appointment as Chairman of the coalition in Kaduna aligns with her position as Interim National Chairman of the Labour Party. It added that her involvement forms part of the ongoing opposition alliance to “rescue Nigerians from the grip of the APC.”

“It is well known that the Labour Party leadership, stakeholders, and even its 2023 presidential candidate have been active participants in this collective rescue mission,” the ADC added.

The party said the clarification became necessary following reports alleging that Senator Usman had defected to the ADC—a claim it described as “completely false.”

The statement, signed by the leadership of the ADC Kaduna State Chapter and dated October 28, 2025, reaffirmed Elder Patrick Ambut as the authentic ADC Chairman in Kaduna State.