The African Democratic Congress in Buji Local Government Area of Jigawa State has suspended Aliyu Gantsa, a member of the party's National Working Committee, for 12 months over alleged anti-party conduct. The suspension took effect on October 19, 2026, and runs until October 19, 2027, according to Punch Newspapers.
But hold up. Gantsa is not going quietly. Within hours of the announcement, he dismissed the entire thing as unconstitutional, null and void, and accused the state leadership of the ADC of using low-level party structures to silence him. This is a proper political fight, and it is playing out in the open.
What happened in Buji?
The suspension was announced in a joint statement issued in Dutse on Monday, October 20, 2026, and signed by three party officials: Ahmad Garba, Polling Unit Chairman of Primary School, Gantsa Fada Yamma; Nasiru Garba Dan Halima, Gantsa Ward Chairman; and Isyaku Muhammad Lelenkudu, Buji LGA Chairman of the party.
The decision was taken at the polling unit of Primary School, Gantsa Fada Yamma, with Unit No. 17-05-04-002. According to the statement, the Ward Executive Committee approved the suspension on October 5, 2026, and the Local Government Working Committee ratified it on October 16, 2026.
The party said the move followed concerns relating to party discipline, internal unity and compliance with established procedures. In plain terms: they say Gantsa broke ranks, and they are calling it out.
Why was Gantsa suspended?
The statement accused Gantsa of engaging openly in anti-party conduct across Jigawa State, conduct it said was bringing the name, integrity and public standing of the African Democratic Congress into serious disrepute.
Specifically, the party accused him of declaring public loyalty and political allegiance to an aspirant who was defeated in the party's democratic primary election. According to the statement, this actively undermined the party's officially nominated candidates and its electoral interests.
That is the kind of thing parties everywhere take seriously. You cannot wear the jersey and play for the other side at the same time. Nigerian politics has seen this movie before, from ward-level squabbles to full-blown national crises, and it almost always ends up in court or in a compromise brokered behind closed doors.
What the suspension means in practice
For the duration of the suspension, Gantsa is barred from attending or participating in any meetings, caucuses, rallies or official gatherings of the ADC at the polling unit, ward, LGA, state or national level.
He is also barred from exercising any rights, duties, privileges or functions associated with his membership or any office he holds within the party. For a man who sits on the National Working Committee, that is a heavy blow.
The party, however, left one door open. In accordance with the principles of fair hearing, Gantsa reserves the right to submit a formal written appeal to the Ward Executive Committee or the Local Government Executive Committee within 14 days of receiving the notice.
The statement urged all party members to remain calm, respect the decision of the competent party authority and avoid actions that could create unnecessary tension. It added that the party trusts Gantsa will use the period for constructive reflection and realign his conduct with the values, discipline and unity necessary for the party's progress.
Gantsa fires back: 'Null and void'
Speaking in a telephone interview with PUNCH Online on Monday evening, Gantsa tore into the suspension and rejected it completely.
He said the ward executive had no constitutional basis to suspend a National Working Committee member in the first place.
I am a member of the National Working Committee of the ADC. The ward executive has no basis and no ground whatsoever to suspend me. Their action is unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect.
He did not stop there. Gantsa accused the state leadership of the party of orchestrating the whole thing to silence dissenting voices, saying they were afraid of his growing influence.
This is the handiwork of the state leadership who are afraid of my growing influence. They are using the polling unit and ward to do what they cannot do themselves.
Still, Gantsa insisted he remains a bona fide member of the ADC and will keep working for the party he helped build.
I remain a committed and loyal member of the ADC. No amount of intimidation will make me abandon the party I laboured to build. I will seek redress through the appropriate party organs.
A test of internal democracy
Strip away the names and the unit numbers, and this is a classic test of internal democracy. One side says due process was followed, layer by layer, from polling unit to ward to LGA. The other side says the process itself was a weapon, deployed by higher powers through lower structures.
Both things can be argued. What matters now is what happens within the 14-day appeal window. If Gantsa files his appeal, the ADC's internal conflict-resolution machinery gets a public audition. If he does not, or if the appeal fails, the party heads toward 2027 with a senior figure sitting on the sidelines.
For a party positioning itself as an alternative in a crowded Nigerian political field, how it handles one dissenting voice says a lot about how it would handle power. The ADC says it remains committed to resolving internal matters through established procedures and in accordance with the party constitution. Gantsa says the same constitution protects him. Someone is wrong, and the next two weeks will tell us plenty.
FAQ
Who is Aliyu Gantsa?
Aliyu Gantsa is a Nigerian politician from Buji Local Government Area in Jigawa State and a member of the National Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress.
How long is Gantsa's suspension?
The suspension lasts 12 months, from October 19, 2026, until October 19, 2027.
Can Gantsa appeal the suspension?
Yes. He has the right to submit a formal written appeal to the Ward Executive Committee or the Local Government Executive Committee within 14 days of receiving the notice.
What was Gantsa accused of?
The party accused him of open anti-party conduct across Jigawa State and of publicly declaring loyalty to an aspirant who lost the ADC's democratic primary election.