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The internal crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has escalated further after a Magistrate Court in Birnin Kebbi ordered the detention of a factional state chairman, Sufyanu Bala, over alleged contempt of court. The ruling adds another layer to the ongoing leadership tussle that has split the party in Kebbi State into rival camps. 
According to court proceedings, the presiding magistrate ordered that Bala be remanded in custody pending the hearing of his bail application scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The case was filed by a rival faction within the party, which is also seeking an order restraining him from parading himself as the legitimate ADC chairman in the state. 
The complainant’s legal representative argued that the action was necessary to enforce an earlier court directive, insisting that the defendant had continued to act in defiance of subsisting orders. However, the defence counsel challenged the jurisdiction of the magistrate court, arguing that the matter was already before a higher court and therefore outside its authority. 
Despite the objection, the magistrate ruled that the case would proceed, further intensifying the legal and political standoff within the ADC. The detained chairman, who is reportedly aligned with former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, accused rival factions and state actors of attempting to destabilise the party ahead of future elections, claiming the crisis is politically motivated. 
The development highlights the widening internal fractures in the ADC, where multiple factions continue to battle for control of party structures through both political manoeuvring and court actions, raising fresh concerns about its stability ahead of the 2027 elections.
