The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress in Kebbi State escalated on Monday after a Magistrate Court in Birnin Kebbi ordered the detention of a factional state chairman, Sufyanu Bala, over alleged contempt of court.
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Presiding Magistrate Abubakar Koko directed that Bala be remanded in custody pending the hearing of his bail application, scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
The suit, filed by a rival faction within the party, is also seeking an order restraining Bala from parading himself as the ADC State Chairman.
Counsel to the complainant, Garba Shehu, who represented factional chairman Abdulrazaq Iko, told the court that the action was necessary to enforce compliance with an earlier directive.
“Our application is rooted in the need to uphold the authority of the court. The defendant has continued to act in defiance of subsisting orders,” Shehu argued.
The defence counsel, Ahmad Fingilla, however, challenged the competence of the case, insisting that the Magistrate’s Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
“This honourable court cannot assume jurisdiction over a matter already before the High Court. The alleged contempt did not originate here, and as such, these proceedings are fundamentally flawed,” Fingilla submitted.
Despite the objection, Magistrate Koko ruled that the matter would proceed and adjourned the case for further hearing.
When contacted, Bala alleged that the rival faction was colluding with the state government to destabilise the ADC’s structure in Kebbi State.
“Yes, the magistrate ordered my arrest and detention yesterday but after today’s hearing, the case is adjourned till tomorrow. Under the constitution, the magistrate has no jurisdiction to entertain the case but the state government is behind the case. They don’t want us to be on the ballot, and we will drag it to a logical conclusion,” he said.
The ADC in Kebbi State has been embroiled in a prolonged leadership tussle, with parallel factions laying claim to the party’s structure. Bala is widely reported to enjoy the backing of the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. The crisis has led to parallel congresses, conflicting court orders, and deep divisions among members, raising concerns about the party’s cohesion in the state ahead of future elections.
The ADC has in recent months emerged as a major opposition platform ahead of the 2027 general elections, attracting high-profile defectors from both the APC and the PDP.
However, the party’s rapid expansion has been accompanied by internal power struggles in several states, with competing factions laying claim to party structures and seeking legitimacy through the courts.
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