The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State has split into two factions, with each faction laying claim to the party’s governorship ticket for the 2027 election.
The development is the latest fallout from the broader political rivalry between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Farah Dagogo, a former member of the House of Representatives and an ally of Atiku, has emerged as the governorship candidate of one faction.
Another faction loyal to Amaechi is backing Dr. Gabriel Pidomson, a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government and former lawmaker in the State House of Assembly, as its candidate.
The ADC comducted its governorship primary election across Rivers State’s 319 wards on Friday using the Option A4 voting system, with members of the party’s National Election Committee supervising the process.Prior to the exercise, seven aspirants were in the race. Two of them stepped down to consolidate support behind Gabriel Pidomson.
Among those who withdrew was Henry Ugboma.The remaining candidates in the governorship contest were listed as Sokonte Davies, Farah Dagogo, Leloonu Nwibubasa, and Allen Hart.However, Dagogo has refused to step aside and has instead emerged as a factional candidate with the backing of Atiku’s political structure.
He recently stated in an interview that “Rivers State cannot afford to be in bondage for another four years” and promised a governance framework anchored on “Diplomacy, Information, Security, and Economy.
“The faction loyal to Amaechi is reportedly in control of the party’s state structure. Dr. Chukwudi Dimkpa, who emerged as Rivers ADC chairman at the party’s congress held in April 2026, is considered an ally of Amaechi.
Dimkpa has been the public face of the party in the state, issuing statements on behalf of the ADC regarding political developments in Rivers.On the other hand, Dagogo’s faction claims legitimacy through his direct ties to Atiku and his vision for the party.
Dagogo had previously warned about the dangers of internal competition, stating in a July 2025 interview that “the mistake of 2023 must not repeat itself” and calling for “post-primary reconciliation mechanisms to unify all aspirants, regardless of the outcome.
“Tensions within the Rivers ADC have been building for months. In April 2026, suspected political thugs stormed the venue of ADC ward congresses in Abua/Odua Local Government Area, destroying the party’s posters and dismantling canopies mounted for the event. The thugs, who were armed, also beat up party officials and members, injuring some and abruptly ending the event.
There were also threats of violence in several other local government areas, which Amaechi and his loyalists, who currently control the party in the state, viewed as a serious threat.In March 2026, hoodlums razed the ADC office in Amaechi’s hometown of Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area, just hours before Amaechi was scheduled to conduct his e-registration exercise at the office.
Amaechi condemned the incident, describing the destruction of the party’s office as “a clear threat to political freedom and democracy both in Rivers State and the country at large.
“Amaechi himself faced an attack on his convoy while heading to Ubima to officially register as a member of the party, despite lying somewhat low in the state politically. Addressing supporters after the Ubima attack, he said, “We are steadily marching to Aso Rock. What they are doing is just mere distraction.
“The AspirantsThe seven aspirants initially in the race included a mix of Amaechi allies and other politicians. Among the prominent Amaechi allies were Asita Honourable Asita and Sokonte Davies, both former House of Representatives members.
Asita is a two-term House of Representatives member who chaired the Governing Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), while Davies represented Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency and later served as Executive Director at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Other aspirants included Gabriel Pidomson (Amaechi-backed candidate), Henry Arinze Ugboma (a professor of maternal-fetal medicine), Leloonu Nwibubasa, Tele Bertram Ikuru, Tom Bertram Inko-Tariah, and Miller Sampson.
The withdrawal of Ugboma and others in favour of Pidomson was presented by the Amaechi-aligned faction as a consensus arrangement to strengthen the party’s position in the state.
However, Dagogo’s refusal to step aside has resulted in the current deadlock.Amaechi served as Rivers State governor from 2007 to 2015. He has stated that he was “literally chased out” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by former President Goodluck Jonathan and Patience Jonathan, who took over the political structure in Rivers State.
This led Amaechi to leave the PDP in 2013 and become a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Amaechi later fell out with the APC leadership after finishing second to President Bola Tinubu in the APC’s 2023 presidential primary.
He has since relocated to the ADC.The ADC was adopted in July 2025 as a coalition platform by opposition figures including Atiku, Amaechi, and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, with the aim of challenging Tinubu in the 2027 election.
However, internal tensions have emerged over leadership and power-sharing.
Former federal lawmaker Hon. Ifeanyi Uzokwe said Atiku told coalition members that “the coalition was formed in his house, that ADC is his party, that nobody will tell him anything.”
Uzokwe added that some stakeholders subsequently asked Atiku to step aside to allow other aspirants like Amaechi to contest freely.Peter Obi exited the ADC coalition on May 3, 2026, citing “external interference” and “internal divisions.
“Dagogo himself had acknowledged the potential for friction as far back as July 2025, stating in an interview that while competition among the trio is “healthy, the outcome of the primaries must be transparent, democratic, and anchored on merit and national acceptability.
“ADC Presidential Primary LoomingThe ADC’s presidential primary is scheduled for May 25, 2026. Both Atiku and Amaechi have been cleared by the party’s screening committee, along with economist Muhammed Hayatu-Deen.
Amaechi has insisted he is “not running to be vice president” and will only accept a consensus arrangement if it is transparent and involves all aspirants.
Atiku has unveiled an “economic rescue blueprint” and security action plan as he campaigns to become the ADC’s presidential candidate.
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