ADC STAKEHOLDER PETITIONS PARTY TO DISQUALIFY BELLO EL-RUFAI OVER ALLEGED CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS. (PHOTO).

 ADC Stakeholder Petitions Party To Disqualify Bello El-Rufai Over Alleged Constitutional Violations

A stakeholder of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna North, Hon. Comrade Hussaini Baba, has submitted a petition to the party's national leadership challenging the eligibility of Hon. Bello El-Rufai to contest for the Kaduna North Federal Constituency seat under the ADC platform.

Bello El-Rufai, the current representative of Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the ADC.

In a petition dated May 30, 2026, and addressed to the ADC National Chairman through the party's Kaduna State and Kaduna North chapters, Baba argued that El-Rufai's emergence as the party's candidate contravenes provisions of the ADC constitution governing membership and eligibility for elective office.

Describing himself as a concerned stakeholder and loyal ADC member in Kaduna North, Baba formally challenged El-Rufai's candidacy, alleging that the lawmaker failed to meet the party's constitutional requirements before participating in the primary election.

According to the petition, the ADC constitution requires aspirants seeking elective office on the party's platform to be registered and financially active members for a specified period before the conduct of primary elections.

Baba claimed that El-Rufai joined the party only days before the primary election, which he said amounted to a violation of the party's membership and eligibility provisions as well as the guidelines issued for the 2026 primaries.

The petitioner further questioned El-Rufai's membership status at the time of the primary election, alleging that he was neither a card-carrying nor dues-paying member recognized by the party at the ward, local government, or state levels.

He also argued that El-Rufai's name was not included in the party's membership register before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline for submission of membership lists, making him ineligible to participate in the primary process.

Baba warned that allowing the candidacy to stand could weaken internal democracy within the ADC, arguing that it would reward last-minute defectors while sidelining long-standing party members who had contributed to building the party.

The petition urged the ADC National Working Committee (NWC) to investigate the circumstances surrounding El-Rufai's emergence as the party's candidate and to determine whether due process was followed.

Among the requests made, Baba asked the party leadership to declare El-Rufai ineligible to contest under the ADC platform for Kaduna North Federal Constituency and withdraw his candidacy.

He also called for the primary election to be declared null and void and for a fresh primary to be conducted among aspirants who meet the party's constitutional requirements.

Expressing confidence in the party's leadership, Baba stated that the ADC should uphold its principles of fairness, justice, and respect for its constitution.

The petition reportedly included supporting documents such as records of El-Rufai's defection, membership registers, and primary election timelines. Copies were also sent to the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kaduna State, the ADC Board of Trustees Chairman, and the Chairman of the party's National Screening and Appeal Committee.