The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State has descended into a bitter factional crisis, with the party split along powerful political fault lines as former House of Representatives member, Dr. Farah Dagogo — widely regarded as an ally of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar — emerged as the party’s governorship candidate, while a rival faction reportedly backed by former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi is pushing strongly for Gabriel Pidomson.
Dagogo was declared the winner of the ADC Rivers State governorship primary held on Friday, May 22, 2026, across all 319 wards of the state using the Option A4 voting system, with members of the party’s National Election Committee supervising the exercise.
Ahead of the primary, two of the seven governorship aspirants stepped down in support of Gabriel Pidomson, a former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly and one-time Secretary to the Rivers State Government, with Henry Ugboma among those who withdrew. The remaining candidates who contested were Sokonte Davies, Farah Dagogo, Leloonu Nwibubasa, Allen Hart, and Gabriel Pidomson.
Despite the withdrawals in his favour, Pidomson was unable to stop Dagogo’s emergence, setting the stage for a fierce post-primary battle between two powerful political camps within the ADC.
Former Governor Amaechi, who has been politically sidelined since the emergence of President Tinubu’s administration, is widely seen as the driving force behind the Pidomson camp, with the Rivers ADC representing a fresh political platform for the former minister’s return to relevance in Rivers State.
Accepting the governorship ticket, Dagogo pledged to build upon the legacies of past Rivers State administrations, promising an issue-based campaign centred on security, education, youth empowerment, healthcare, and job creation. “We will not engage in mudslinging or divisive politics. Our focus will be on practical solutions and policies that can improve the lives of Rivers people,” he declared.
Political analysts warn that the deepening factional crisis within the Rivers ADC — with the Atiku and Amaechi camps pulling in opposite directions — could significantly weaken the party’s electoral prospects ahead of the 2027 governorship contest in Rivers State.
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