Fresh reports indicate that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) may be on the verge of replacing its Adamawa State governorship candidate, Omar Suleiman, with Alhaji Tukur Modibbo ahead of the 2027 general election, despite earlier denials by the party’s state leadership.
The latest claim was made by political analyst Imran Wakili, who said the decision had already been taken and had the backing of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as well as other senior members of the party in Adamawa State.
In an X post shared on Tuesday, Wakili said he had earlier reported that there were unconfirmed reports of a planned replacement but could now confirm that the move had received the approval of the party’s leadership in the state.
“Yesterday, I reported that there were uncomfirmed reports that the ADC is replacing its Adamawa governorship candidate, Omar Suleiman, with Alhaji Tukur Modibbo.
“I can now confirm that the decision has been made, and it is with the blessing of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and other high ranking members of the party in the state.
“My position remains the same, it is a sound political decision.
“However, it comes after the party has lost considerable momentum in the state, with many supporters already shifting their allegiance elsewhere.
“Better late than never, but time will tell whether the change is enough to revive the party’s fortunes,” he said.
The development comes after weeks of speculation surrounding the ADC’s governorship ticket in Adamawa. Earlier rumours had suggested that Abdulrahman Haske, a leading All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, would replace Suleiman after reportedly defecting to the ADC. However, those reports lost traction after Haske returned to the APC.
Attention later shifted to Tukur Modibbo, with fresh claims emerging over the weekend that he would instead replace Suleiman as the party’s governorship candidate.
Despite the growing speculation, the ADC in Adamawa has continued to deny that any change has been made.
Reacting to the reports on Tuesday, a founding member of the party in the state, Suleiman Adamu Jimeta, dismissed the claims as false and capable of creating unnecessary tension within the party.
He insisted that Omar Suleiman remained the party’s duly nominated governorship candidate and that no official decision had been communicated through the appropriate party channels.
“Omar Suleiman remains the party’s legitimate candidate and has worked tirelessly to earn the confidence and support of ADC members across the state,” Jimeta said.
He warned that rumours of replacing the candidate could create confusion, fuel internal divisions and weaken the party’s chances in the 2027 governorship election.
As of Tuesday evening, the Adamawa State chapter of the ADC had not released any official statement confirming a change to its governorship ticket.
The reported move also comes weeks after Atiku Abubakar defended the credibility of the ADC primary election that produced him as the party’s presidential candidate.
Responding to criticisms by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, Atiku’s spokesman, Phrank Shaibu, argued that Babachir had accepted the outcome of the same primary process that produced his cousin, Omar Suleiman, while rejecting the presidential result that favoured Atiku.
Babachir Lawal had resigned from the ADC after alleging that the party’s presidential primary was manipulated in Atiku’s favour. Atiku’s camp, however, dismissed the allegation and questioned why Babachir accepted the governorship outcome involving his cousin if he truly believed the entire process was rigged.
