The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Appeal Committee in Kaduna State has confirmed Shuaibu Idris Mikati as the party’s governorship candidate after reviewing complaints from aspirants who contested the recent primary election.

The chairman of the committee, Dr Muhammed Mustapha Fagge, said the panel carefully examined petitions, documents and submissions before reaching its decisions.

According to Fagge, the committee unanimously upheld Mikati’s victory after finding that he received the highest number of valid votes.

The panel also said evidence presented during its review pointed to irregularities and alleged fraudulent activities involving some rival governorship aspirants, reinforcing its decision.

The committee equally affirmed the victories of Tukur Salisu Kakeyi in the Zaria Federal Constituency primary and Muhammed Mahmoud Aliyu in the Soba Federal Constituency contest after confirming that both candidates secured the highest number of valid votes.

However, several other primaries were declared inconclusive due to irregularities, procedural violations, the omission of candidates from ballot papers, and a lack of sufficient evidence that voting took place.

In the Ikara/Kubau Federal Constituency, the committee ordered a rerun after discovering that Ibrahim Danlami Kubau, a cleared aspirant, had been omitted from the ballot.

A fresh primary was also ordered in Kaduna South Federal Constituency after investigators found no credible evidence that elections had been conducted across all wards.

The committee directed rerun elections in several constituencies and wards, including Kaura, Soba, Ikara, Kajuru, Badarawa/Malali, Magajin Gari II, Birnin Gwari, Tudun Wada West, Igabi, Kagarko, Kawo, Zaria, Chikun/Kajuru and Kudan/Makarfi.

In another key ruling, the committee said any attempt to adopt a consensus or affirmation process for the Kaduna North Senatorial District primary would be invalid unless all parties involved agreed to it.

Fagge said the committee was guided by fairness, transparency, inclusiveness and internal democracy.

“Our decisions were reached strictly on the basis of facts, evidence, and the provisions of the party’s guidelines,” he said.

He added that the committee remained committed to protecting the integrity of the party’s internal electoral process and ensuring that the wishes of members are respected.

Some aspirants of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kano have rejected the outcome of the party’s state and legislative primary elections, alleging irregularities and calling for an investigation.

Speaking at a press conference in Kano, the group’s spokesperson, Hon. Wada Masu, said the primaries, allegedly held on May 21, 2026, lacked credibility and transparency.

“We are deeply dissatisfied with the conduct of the purported primary elections,” Masu said, arguing that the process raised “serious questions” about its legitimacy and compliance with party rules.

“It is difficult to understand how primary elections could have been conducted while aspirants were still participating in the mandatory screening process,” he said.

According to the aggrieved aspirants, the party’s election committee invited them to a consensus meeting on May 22, a day after the alleged primaries. They said the invitation indicated that primary elections would only be conducted if the consensus arrangement failed.

Masu argued that this contradicted claims that valid primaries had already taken place on May 21.

The aspirants said the sequence of events exposed major inconsistencies and could undermine members’ confidence in the party’s internal democratic process.

They also insisted that every aspirant deserves a level playing field and the opportunity to compete under conditions that comply with the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines.

“We urge the national leadership of our great party to thoroughly investigate these developments and ensure that justice is done,” Masu said, adding that the party’s integrity depends on it.

The aspirants warned that ignoring their concerns could create further disputes ahead of future elections. However, they stressed that their action was not directed at any individual.

The group said it would continue to pursue its grievances through lawful channels while awaiting action from the party leadership.