The African Democratic Congress in Adamawa State has handed a stark December 31 ultimatum to heavyweights like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Secretary to the Government Babachir Lawal: hit your wards for membership cards or forfeit party standing, a push to solidify the opposition platform ahead of 2027 primaries.

In an exclusive chat with The PUNCH Saturday, state ADC chair Shehu Yohanna unveiled the fresh register, insisting only cardholders count as legit: "Atiku should go to his ward in Jada... Babachir to Hong. You cannot take decisions for a party you're not constitutionally in."

He slammed unregistered national bigwigs as "a caricature," tying the drive to the caucus's recent call for full defections from PDP and others—a nod dismissed by APC and PDP as bluster.

Atiku's Jada signup, hyped for August, stalled last month, amid buzz he's scouting the ADC ticket against Peter Obi's rising pull.

Yohanna brushed off ruling APC and opposition PDP as 2027 pushovers, crediting Tinubu's "unfriendly policies" for ADC's edge: "We have influential figures... ready to reposition for authentic democracy."

On home turf, Yohanna quashed chapter rifts, affirming his 2026 term: "ADC isn't anyone's estate; it's Obasanjo-registered." He touted governorship hopefuls as Nigeria's finest, urging all to rally for the coalition's anti-incumbent surge.

As the clock ticks on the deadline, the move tests loyalties in a fracturing opposition, where Atiku's hesitation hints at broader 2027 chess—will wards become battlegrounds or bridges to a unified front?