The factional leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Borno State, led by Dr. Muhammad Khala, has declared Hon. Muhammad Attom Magira as its candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
The declaration followed a recent Court of Appeal judgment in case No. CA/ABJ/CV/608/2026 involving the ADC, Don Norman Obinna and others, the Senator David Mark-led faction and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The judgment, delivered by Justice Okon Abang, was cited by Magira and his supporters as the basis for recognising the factional leadership of the party in Borno State and, consequently, Magira’s candidature.
The development has, however, deepened the leadership crisis within the party in the state, as another faction of the ADC maintains that Hon. Babagana Buhari remains the party’s legitimate governorship candidate.
The ADC had earlier conducted a governorship primary under the leadership of the David Mark-led national executive, which produced Buhari as the party’s candidate in Borno State.
Magira, who had obtained the party’s nomination and expression-of-interest forms, maintained that he did not participate in the primary that produced Buhari. He claimed that he contested a separate primary conducted by the faction of the party led by the old state executives under Dr. Khala, where he emerged as its governorship candidate.
Speaking on Tuesday, the acting chairman of the ADC in Borno State, Hon. Bukar Kolo, rejected Magira’s claim, describing reports that he had become the party’s governorship candidate as “laughable, null and void.”
Kolo argued that the primary that produced Buhari was conducted by the national leadership of the party in accordance with the Electoral Act, insisting that state executives do not have the authority to conduct governorship primaries.
He said the direct primary allowed members of the party to elect their preferred candidate and questioned how Magira could now be declared candidate after allegedly participating in the primary and finishing third.
Kolo challenged Magira and his legal team to produce evidence from the Court of Appeal or INEC specifically recognising him as the ADC governorship candidate in Borno State.
He also stated that the matter concerning the party’s leadership was still before the Supreme Court.
Reacting, Magira expressed satisfaction with the Court of Appeal decision and the decision of the factional state leadership led by Dr. Khala to recognise him as the party’s candidate.
He challenged Kolo to produce evidence showing that he was duly elected or sworn in as the acting chairman of the ADC in Borno State.
Magira urged the people of Borno State to support his candidature, promising to prioritise security, healthcare, education, agriculture, job creation, poverty reduction, youth and women empowerment, as well as infrastructure and economic development.
He further promised to operate an open-door administration, abolish taxes for Keke Napep operators and implement a minimum wage of N100,000 for all categories of civil servants in the state if elected governor in 2027.
