Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A political storm is brewing in Adamawa State, the home state of African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, as hundreds of party members and supporters took to the streets of Yola on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, to protest growing rumours that the party's governorship candidate, Ambassador Engineer Omar Suleiman, popularly known as Omarana, is being considered for replacement ahead of the 2027 governorship election. The protesters, comprising party supporters, youths and grassroots mobilisers, marched through major roads in the state capital carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs in support of the candidate, insisting that Omar Suleiman remained the validly elected flagbearer of the party and should not be substituted under any circumstance.
The demonstration, organised by a group known as Frontier Movement 774, saw protesters converge in the early hours of the day and march through major streets, displaying placards with messages including 'Don't Forcefully Remove Our Candidate', 'Respect Party Democracy', 'Omarana Is the People's Choice', 'No to Candidate Substitution', and 'No Removal, No Substitution'. The protesters ended their march at the ADC state secretariat in Jimeta, where some of their leaders addressed the gathering. The Chairman of Frontier Movement 774, Madu Umar, said ordinary members of the ADC were unhappy that the party's duly elected governorship candidate had been denied peace of mind by rumours of a possible substitution, adding that the protest was aimed at drawing the attention of the party leadership at both state and national levels to the dangers of attempting to replace a candidate already chosen through the party's established process.
Also speaking at the protest, one of the leaders, Mrs Damaris Yalawa, declared, "Omarana is the one we chose. We don't know what some people are up to; but we know that it is Omarana that we elected as our candidate for 2027 and on him we insist." Two other protest leaders also spoke at the ADC secretariat, with some appealing to the party's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to intervene. However, none of them openly accused Atiku of being involved in the alleged move, though unconfirmed street speculation suggested that Atiku may not be unaware of behind-the-scenes efforts to alter the ADC governorship candidacy in his home state.
The protest came barely 24 hours after an ADC stalwart, Suleiman Adamu Jimeta, warned of serious consequences if the party's candidate was changed in the manner being alleged. Jimeta said the reported plan to bring in Tukur Modibbo, with some party stakeholders allegedly supporting the move, should be disregarded, as no such decision had been communicated through any recognised channel. He described the rumoured move as a recipe for confusion and internal division, warning that it could significantly weaken the party's chances in next year's elections.
The crisis has been brewing for weeks, with supporters of Omar Suleiman first raising concerns over reports suggesting that businessman Abdulrahman Haske was being considered as a replacement for the ADC governorship candidate. Those reports were followed by speculation that Modibbo Tukur was also being considered. In response to the growing tension, the 21 local government chairmen of the ADC in Adamawa State declared their support for Suleiman after a closed-door meeting with the governorship candidate at Mama Chare Hotel, Karewa GRA, Yola, on Saturday night. Speaking on behalf of the group, Abubakar Audu, the ADC chairman in Girei Local Government Area, told journalists that the party remained firmly behind Suleiman, who he said emerged through direct primaries. "We today pass a vote of confidence on the party's acting chairman, Mr Sadiq Dasin, and our governorship candidate, Suleiman Umar," he said.
However, a top ADC chieftain in Adamawa, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that plans had already been concluded to replace Suleiman as the party's governorship candidate. According to the source, Suleiman attended a meeting in Abuja where the national leaders explained why the party wanted to replace him with Haske ahead of the 2027 general elections. The chieftain alleged that Suleiman was asked at the meeting to disclose the amount he had spent on his campaign so it could be refunded to him, and that he returned to Yola the following day and mobilised the local government chairmen to pass a vote of confidence in him after learning about the development. The source added that the reported plan to replace Suleiman was based on Haske's political structure across the 21 local government areas and his origin from the state's largest senatorial district, which has nine local governments.
The ADC in Adamawa State has, however, dismissed the reports, insisting that Omar Suleiman remains the duly elected and recognised governorship candidate. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the party said there had been no replacement, withdrawal, step-down or negotiations concerning Suleiman's candidacy, and urged the electorate to disregard what it described as rumours intended to mislead the public. The party further stated that the endorsement of its candidate by the chairmen of the 21 local government areas underscored the unity within its ranks and reaffirmed the validity of his mandate. The party urged residents of the state to ignore the rumours and continue supporting its governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
The crisis comes at a critical time for the ADC, which is seeking to make significant inroads in Adamawa State, the home state of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. With the 2027 elections approaching, the internal dispute threatens to undermine the party's chances of presenting a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress and other opposition parties. As the protesters made clear, their message is unequivocal: Omar Suleiman is the people's choice, and any attempt to replace him will be met with fierce resistance.
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