Legal turmoil rocks Bauchi ADC as Court upholds State Chairman suspension

By Rauf Oyewole

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Bauchi State has been plunged into a leadership crisis as a faction of the party successfully obtained a court injunction to enforce the suspension of the state chairman, Mallam Hassan Haruna.

The internal rift became public on Tuesday during a press conference led by the party's Deputy Chairman, Mahmood Hassan Tabla.

According to Tabla, Haruna was removed from his position following allegations of anti-party activities and the parallelization of party structures at the ward and local government levels.

A disciplinary panel reportedly found the chairman guilty of recognizing unauthorized executive sets, an act deemed contrary to Article 15(a) of the ADC Constitution.

The crisis escalated following a controversial press release issued by Haruna on January 18, 2026, in which he allegedly referred to local government executives as bandits and hired agents.

The aggrieved party members contended that these utterances were defamatory and that his attempt to unilaterally appoint a new secretary and local government chairmen violated the 1999 Constitution’s provisions on the Freedom of Association.

In response, the ward and local government executives filed a lawsuit (Suit No. BA/38/2026) at the Bauchi State High Court. On February 4, 2026, the court issued an order of interim injunction restraining Haruna and 20 others from parading themselves as ADC executives. The matter has been adjourned until February 19, 2026, for further hearing.

Following the expiration of a 14-day appeal window, the local government executives issued Circular No. BA/01/003/2026, formally removing Haruna and elevating Mahmood Hassan Tabla to the position of acting state chairman.

"The executives resolved that I, as his deputy, should take over as acting chairman to ensure the party continues its operations in line with our constitution," Tabla stated.

He emphasized that the move was necessary to protect the party’s character and institutional integrity from unauthorized administrative changes.

The upcoming court hearing on February 19 is expected to determine the long-term leadership direction of the ADC in Bauchi as the party prepares for future electoral engagements.