Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El Rufai have officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The two “heavyweight” politicians from northern Nigeria have been engaged in a long-drawn political manourvering with their former parties While Atiku resigned from the PDP in July 2025, El-Rufai resigned his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in March 2025.
However, on November 24, 2025, Atiku in a social media post announced that “its official- AA.” In the post Atiku showcased a jersey with the inscription “Waziri” while in another one, he is seen raising a card of the ADC.
The post was followed a brief registration ceremony held in Yola, the Adamawa State capital. The ceremony drew crowd of Atiku’s supporters party chieftains and community stakeholders who came to witness the event.
With the official membership of the duo of Atiku and El Rufai, the ADC according to political analysts seems set to face the daunting task of opposition ahead of the critical 2027 general elections.
To further show his commitment to the ADC, the former Vice President has donated his property located at the Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent at the Wuse2 area of Abuja to the ADC to serve as its National Secretariat.
The Wuse 2 property, a multi-storey building had served as the presidential campaign headquarters of Atiku in 2019 and 2023 election cycles.
‘Weeding’ out the ‘moles’ in the party.
A senior member of the party who craved anonymity while speaking to FACTSHEET on Thursday in Abuja emphatically revealed that “the party’s leadership has resolved to weed out fifth columnists from the party.”
The source noted that “the APC government has been using some members of the party to institute needless court cases against the new leadership of the party, just to distract the party.”
On Thursday, just as Malam Nasir El Rufai was officially joining the ADC, the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Senator David Mark, National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, National Secretary ratified the expulsion of Rt. Hon. Leke Abejide from the party. The expulsion of the lawmaker who is the lone member of the House of Representatives from the party signals a new beginning for the party.
Hon. Abejide represents Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State in the House of Representatives.
Affirming the position NWC, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi in a statement issued on Thursday said that the party will “not tolerate and act of indiscipline.”
According to the statement,
“The National Working Committee (NWC) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has ratified the decision of the Kogi State Executive Committee of the party to expel Hon. Leke Abejide from the party for various acts of indiscipline.
“The ADC National Working Committee announced the decision at the end of its meeting, held at the party’s National Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
“The party reaffirmed that it would not tolerate any acts of indiscipline from its members as it seeks to build a party governed by discipline, character, and integrity.
“Furthermore, the party also directed the state leadership of the party to ensure that all vacant positions in the ward, local governments, and state executives of the party are filled in accordance with the approved transition guidelines that were earlier issued, ahead of the congresses whose timeline would be announced soon.”
Hon. Leke AbejideHon. Abejide, has openly rejected the coalition-led takeover of the ADC and has been critical of the process. The lawmaker has also continuously insisted that he would support President Bola Tinubu ahead of any other presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.
Abejide was in August, 2025 suspended by the Kogi State Working Committee (SWC) of the ADC. Abejide was suspended alongside, Dr Idris Omede, Hon Johnson Tayo, Lukman Usman Adedayo and Olabode Kayode on allegations of engaging in anti-party activities and insubordination.
FACTSHEET investigations revealed that several state chapters of the ADC will come under the axe of the National Working Committee of the party.
