Critical Youths Stakeholders Forum (CYSF) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Borno State has taken a fiery stand, declaring that the party is done entertaining what it described as “political jobbers” attempting to infiltrate the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
At a press conference held at the Nanne and Boi Hotel in Maiduguri, the Forum’s Chairman, Hon. Yusuf Sheriff Banki, delivered a strongly worded warning, revealing that the ADC youths—who form the bulk of the party’s active base—are prepared to defend the party’s structure, even if it means escalating matters to the national leadership or taking legal action.
Banki accused unnamed actors of running underground plots aimed at seizing control of the party. Though he withheld names, he labeled them “Transactional and Transitional Politicians,” alleging that their interest in the ADC was purely opportunistic.
According to him,
“These political merchants, who are Abuja Based, and not known in their constituencies, seeking the soul of ADC in Borno State are political tourists, migrating from party to party every election cycle.”
He described them as individuals whose political ideology shifts with the wind—men who “evaporate” the moment pressure mounts. Their goal, he said, is not party growth but personal survival.
Banki continued his criticism, stating:
“These are politicians who have consistently been used by the ruling party. They are like political parasite to any political platform that would give them temporary oxygen.”
He accused the group of attempting to impose themselves on the party through “backdoor arrangements, illegal meetings, and fabricated claims of leadership endorsement,” insisting that Borno residents no longer take them seriously.
*“ADC in Borno State Is not for sale”*
Banki stressed that those now seeking the party’s structure were the same individuals who once mocked the ADC as “a structureless experiment.” He accused them of attempting to reap where they did not sow, recalling how they allegedly worked against membership registration and sabotaged the unveiling of the party in the state.
He said:
“Let it be clearly stated that Borno State ADC is not for sale. We will not surrender the soul of ADC to transactional politicians who migrate from platform to platform like political nomads.”
The Chairman also revisited the 2023 elections, saying those now trying to position themselves were the same actors whose infighting allegedly stalled the inauguration of the campaign council barely two weeks before the election.
The Forum called on the ADC national and zonal leadership to avoid aligning with what Banki described as “political traders,” warning that such alignment could trigger widespread rejection in Borno.
Banki declared that “Their only official Party, is the ‘Party of Personal Interest’ (PPI).”
He reaffirmed that the founding members remain firmly in control of the party’s authentic structure and will not allow political opportunists to undermine years of sacrifice.
*Zoning stance: No compromise*
Banki also clarified that the ADC in Borno will uphold its zoning formula, insisting that the chairmanship of any transition committee must come from Southern Borno.
He said:
“We are never ever going back on this zoning arrangement… The Southern Borno has been the support base for the opposition party since 1999 and we must respect this political calculation.”
While stressing that the party remains open to welcoming genuine defectors from other parties, Banki made it clear that those seeking only visibility or influence will not find room within the Borno ADC.
He concluded with a firm resolve:
“We will not, and never allow any individual or group of individuals to use and undermine the collective intelligence of Borno State stakeholder’s labour as a shortcut to Political relevance… We are ready to stand for what is right.”
