As the African Democratic Congress continues its online membership registration ahead of the 2027 general elections, data from the exercise reveals a significant imbalance in favour of northern Nigeria, with the region accounting for more than 70 per cent of total new registrations.
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Figures exclusively obtained by Leadership Weekend as of Wednesday, March 11, 2026, show that a total of 652,143 new members had registered since the exercise commenced on March 1. Of that figure, 555,299 registrations came from the northern region, while the south recorded just 96,844.
The data has heightened the political calculations within the ADC, which currently has three prominent presidential aspirants — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from Adamawa State in the north, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi from the south-east, and former Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi from Rivers State in the south-south.
The North-East geopolitical zone leads all regions with 256,966 registrations. Adamawa State, the home state of Atiku Abubakar, alone recorded 104,998 — the highest of any single state in the country. Other states in the zone include Gombe with 61,632, Bauchi with 41,024, Taraba with 29,998, Borno with 11,100, and Yobe with 8,214.
The North-West follows with 201,398 registrations. Kaduna State leads the zone with 64,748, followed by Katsina with 47,243, Kano with 34,255, Kebbi with 19,867, Jigawa with 14,699, Sokoto with 10,089, and Zamfara with 10,497.
The North-Central zone recorded 96,935 new members, with Kogi leading at 26,766, followed by Niger with 23,039, Benue with 15,870, Nasarawa with 12,690, the FCT with 8,998, Plateau with 5,625, and Kwara with 3,947.
In the south, the South-West recorded 37,644 registrations, led by Lagos with 14,163, followed by Ondo with 7,651, Oyo with 7,347, Ogun with 3,916, Osun with 3,470, and Ekiti with 1,097.
The South-South registered 35,904 members, with Rivers State — Amaechi’s home state — leading at 10,967, followed by Cross River with 7,007, Delta with 6,398, Akwa Ibom with 5,733, Edo with 4,189, and Bayelsa with 1,610.
The South-East recorded the lowest figures nationally with just 23,296 registrations. Imo led the zone with 7,902, followed by Anambra with 6,260, Enugu with 4,565, Abia with 2,991, and Ebonyi with 1,578.
Perhaps the most striking detail from the data is that members registered in just three northern states — Adamawa with 104,998, Kaduna with 64,748, and Gombe with 61,632 — totalling 231,378, exceed the entire southern registration of 96,844 across all 17 states.
The figures suggest a significant advantage for Atiku Abubakar in the party’s membership base, as the north, where he hails from, dominates the register. In contrast, the southern states, where both Obi and Amaechi draw their core support, account for less than 25 per cent of total registrations.
All three aspirants have repeatedly insisted on contesting the presidency and none has shown willingness to step down. Both Obi and Amaechi have publicly ruled out accepting a running mate slot.
In the 2019 presidential election, Atiku and Obi ran together as the PDP’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates. However, in 2023, they contested separately — Atiku under the PDP and Obi under the Labour Party. Amaechi contested the APC presidential primaries in 2022 but lost to President Bola Tinubu.
When contacted about the data and the mobilization process, the national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Tanko Yunusa, responded tersely, saying only that the movement was mobilizing.
Chief Eze Eze, an ally of Amaechi and former national publicity secretary of nPDP, acknowledged the figures but expressed confidence that the south would catch up.
“Your records may be right, but rest assured that before the end of April, the South will be in a position to challenge the North on membership of ADC,” he said, adding that numerous pressure groups are being set up to mobilize Nigerians to understand that the ADC is positioned to rescue the country from what he described as the failings of the APC.
Attempts to reach the ADC national publicity secretary and Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, were unsuccessful as of press time.
The registration exercise is being conducted against a tight electoral calendar. According to the revised INEC timetable released on February 26, parties must submit their membership registers to the commission between April 1 and 21, in line with Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires submission not later than 300 days before the election.
Party primaries are scheduled to hold between April 23 and May 30. Only registered party members are eligible to participate in the primaries, where candidates for the 2027 elections will emerge.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 14, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
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